v 


s  i/ou  converse 
lords  and 


— ^s, 

I  haoe  their  betters 
here — my  books, 

Fixed  in  an  elbow- 
chair  at  ease, 

I  choose  compan 
ions  as  I  please. 

—THOMAS    SHERIDAN 
TO   DEAN  SWIFT 

Vmtk 


INDIAN  CREEK  MASSACRE 

and 

CAPTIVITY  OF  HALL  GIRLS 


COMPLETE  HISTORY 

of  the 

MASSACRE  OF  SIXTEEN  WHITES 

on 

INDIAN  CREEK,  NEAR  OTTAWA,  ILL. 
and 

SYLVIA  HALL  AND  RACHEL  HALL 

A«  Captives  in   Illinois  and  Wisconsin 
during 

THE  BLACK  HAWK  WAR,  1832  '  "  " 


BY 

CHARLES   M.  SCANLAN 

Author  of 

'Scanlan's  Rules  of  Order,"     "The  Law  of  Church  and  Grave," 
"Law  of  Hotels"  Etc. 


SECOND  EDITION 


REIC  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

421   Matthews   Building 
Milwaukee,  Wis. 


COPYRIGHT,  1915. 

BY 
CHARLES  M.  SCANLAN 


PREFACE. 

No  one  is  satisfied  with  an  incomplete  story. 
The  very  meagre  and  inconsistent  accounts  of 
the  adventures  of  Sylvia  and  Rachel  Hall 
(familiarly  known  as  the  "Hall  girls")  hereto 
fore  published,  merely  excited  one 's  curiosity  to 
know  the  whole  story.  The  ladies'  statements 
that  have  been  published,  gave  only  an  outline 
of  the  facts  as  far  as  they  knew  them  person 
ally.  To  obtain  all  the  facts,  required  much  in 
vestigation  of  books  and  a  great  deal  of  corre 
spondence  with  historical  societies,  editors  of 
newspapers  and  the  War  and  the  Interior  De 
partment  of  the  United  States.  Also,  the  writer 
has  had  personal  interviews  with  relatives  of 
the  Misses  Hall,  and  has  traveled  over  the 
ground  and  examined  all  the  evidence  that  now 
appears  from  the  location  of  the  little  cottage 
on  Indian  Creek  to  Galena  where  the  girls  took 
a  boat  for  St.  Louis. 

Mrs.  A.  Miranda  Dunavan,  a  daughter  of 
Mrs.  Rachel  Hall  Munson  (the  younger  cap 
tive),  gave  me  the  family  history  of  her  mother; 
and  Miss  Sylvia  E.  Horn  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska, 
and  Mr.  C.  L.  Horn  of  Mackinaw,  Illinois, 

[3] 

M130124 


4  PREFACE. 

grand-children  of  Mrs.  Sylvia  Hall  Horn  (the 
elder  captive),  contributed  the  history  of  the 
Horn  family.  Thus  every  fact  in  the  following 
pages  is  stated  upon  the  best  evidence. 

To  gather  all  the  traditions  that  still  linger 
along  the  course  over  which  the  Indians  trav 
eled  with  their  captives,  the  writer  enlisted  the 
services  of  his  nieces,  Miss  Gertrude  Scanlan 
of  Fennimore,  Wisconsin,  and  Miss  Marian 
Scanlan  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  whose  grand 
fathers  were  pioneers  in  the  lead  regions.  How 
ever,  no  fact  has  been  stated  on  tradition  with 
out  the  clues  being  verified  by  land  records  or 
government  documents. 

Of  course  every  lady  wants  to  know  how  the 
girls  looked.  Unfortunately,  there  is  no  picture 
of  either  of  them  prior  to  middle  life.  Mrs. 
Dunavan  lent  to  me  a  very  rare  daguerreotype 
picture  of  her  mother,  Mrs.  Munson,  taken  at 
the  age  of  about  forty-two  years,  and  a  photo 
graph  of  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Sylvia  Hall  Horn,  taken 
when  she  was  over  sixty  years  of  age.  Also, 
I  borrowed  from  Mrs.  Dunavan  a  tintype  pic 
ture  of  herself  when  she  was  sixteen,  which  is 
said  to  be  a  very  good  likeness  of  her  aunt 
Sylvia  at  the  time  that  she  was  taken  captive. 
These  pictures  are  reproduced  herein.  The 


PREFACE.  5 

tradition  of  the  neighborhood  is  that  the  girls 
were  unusually  handsome  in  both  figure  and 
face  and  of  captivating  kind  dispositions.  They 
were  born  in  Kentucky  and  carried  with  them 
to  Illinois  the  southern  culture  which  has  won 
for  the  ladies  of  the  South  considerable  fame  in 
story  and  song. 

"She  was  bred  in  old  Kentucky, 
Where  the  meadow  grass  grows  blue, 
There's  the  sunshine  of  the  country, 
In  her  face  and  manner  too." — Braisted. 

Milwaukee,  Wis. 
July  15,  1915. 

CHARLES  M.  SCANLAN. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Preface,  3 

I.  Description  of  the  Country,          -        -        -      9 

II.  Indian  Davis  Troubles,  -                                   13 

III.  The  Davis  Settlement,  23 

IV.  The  Massacre,  31 
V.  The  Captivity,  38 

VI.  To  the  Rescue,    -  48 

VII.  Military  Movements,  -     51 

VIII.  Reward  Offered,  54 

IX.  The  Captive  Girls,  59 

X.  Ransomed,   -         -  66 

XL  Royally  Welcomed,         -  -                                81 

XII.  Homeward  Bound,      -  -                                  90 

XIII.  Romance  and  History,  -        -     95 

XIV.  Shabona,       -        -  106 
XV.  Comee  and  Toquamee,  ....  m 


t7] 


CHAPTER  I. 

DESCRIPTION    OF   THE   COUNTRY. 

In  its  natural  condition,  perhaps  no  more  at 
tractive  country  ever  laid  before  the  eyes  of 
man  than  that  in  which  occurred  the  incidents 
of  the  following  narrative.  On  the  south  it  is 
bordered  by  the  Illinois  river,  with  its  historical 
events  beginning  with  the  old  Kaskaskia  Mis 
sion  established  by  Father  Marquette  in  1673 
amidst  the  most  beautiful  scenery  in  tne  whole 
state  of  Illinois,  which  is  now  included  in 
Starved  Rock  State  Park. 

What  memories  cluster  around  old  Kaskas 
kia  !  As  the  first  capital  of  Illinois,  it  was  vis 
ited  by  Gen.  La  Fayette  and  Presidents  Jack 
son,  Lincoln,  Taylor  and  Harrison ;  by  Jefferson 
Davis,  Gen.  Albert  Sidney  Johnson,  and  by 
nearly  every  other  man  who  was  prominent  in 
United  States  history  prior  to  1837,  when 
Springfield  became  the  state  capital. 

On  the  east  for  more  than  one  hundred  miles 
the  Fox  river,  with  its  source  in  a  beautiful 
lake  near  Waukesha,  Wisconsin,  flows  south 
into  the  Illinois  at  Ottawa.  Westward  the  great 
prairie  stretches  off  to  and  beyond  the  Rock 
river  which  has  eroded  a  narrow  valley  through 

[9] 


10  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

that  otherwise  flat  plain.  Besides  Rock  river 
the  only  important  streams  that  lay  in  the 
course  of  travel  of  the  Hall  girls  as  prisoners, 
were  the  Sycamore  (South  Kishwaukee)  and 
the  Kishwaukee  in  Illinois,  and  Turtle  Creek, 
the  Bark  River  and  the  Oconomowoc  in  Wis 
consin. 

We  are  told  by  geologists  that  during  the 
quaternary  age  of  the  world,  a  great  ice-berg, 
moving  down  from  the  north,  crushed  all  the 
trees  and  vegetation  in  its  path,  leveled  most 
of  the  hills  and  filled  most  of  the  valleys  as  far 
south  as  the  Ohio  River.  When  that  body  of  ice 
melted  it  formed  lakes  in  the  depressions  which 
were  not  filled  with  till.  Drumlins,  eskers  and 
kames,  here  and  there,  remain  to  indicate  either 
the  resistance  of  the  prior  formation  or  that 
quantities  of  earth  filled  the  uneven  under  sur 
face  of  the  ice  at  the  time  of  its  dissolution. 

By  the  action  of  the  atmosphere,  rains  and 
dew,  as  centuries  rolled  on,  vegetation  sprang 
up  all  over  that  great  plain,  and  springs  to  sup 
ply  the  greatest  necessity  of  living  things,  broke 
forth  and  flowed  in  streams  that  united  into 
rivers  as  they  rolled  on  to  the  sea.  Along  the 
streams  were  forests  of  trees — including  many 
species  of  the  oak,  ash,  sycamore,  elm,  sugar 


12  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

maple,  locust,  hickory,  walnut,  butternut,  lin 
den,  cherry,  buckeye,  blackberry  and  many 
other  familiar  varieties.  Also,  here  and  there 
stood  groves  that  escaped  the  terrible  prairie 
fires  that  almost  every  year  swept  over  that 
vast  plain. 

Game  of  many  kinds,  from  the  monstrous  buf 
falo  and  timid  deer  down  to  the  rabbit,  the  tur 
key,  the  prairie  chicken,  and  the  quail,  was 
abundant. 

Last,  and  by  no  means  least,  was  the  beautiful 
flora  of  that  country  which  was  known  as 
"The  Paradise  of  the  West."1  A  traveler  who 
saw  it  in  its  natural  condition,  describes  it  as 
follows:  "Above  all  countries,  this  is  the  land 
of  flowers.  In  the  season,  every  prairie  is  an 
immense  flower  garden.  In  the  early  stages  of 
spring  flowers,  the  prevalent  tint  is  peach  blu 
ish;  the  next  is  a  deeper  red;  then  succeeds  the 
yellow ;  and  to  the  latest  period  of  autumn  the 
prairies  exhibit  a  brilliant  golden,  scarlet  and 
blue  carpet,  mingled  with  the  green  and  brown 
ripened  grass."2 

"Sweet  waves  the  sea  of  summer  flowers 
Around  our  wayside  cot  so  coy, 
Where  Eileen  sings  away  the  hours 
That  light  my  task  in  Illinois." — McGee. 

16  Wis.  Hist.  Col.,  421;    10  Wis.  Hist.  Col.,  24G-7. 
'"Western  Portraiture,"  Colton,  221. 


CHAPTER  II. 

INDIAN    TROUBLES. 

When  the  first  white  man  settled  in  Illinois, 
the  Mascoutin  Indians  occupied  the  lands  be 
tween  the  Illinois  River  and  the  waterway 
formed  by  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  Rivers  from 
Green  Bay  to  Prairie  dn  Chien.  Later  the  Sacs, 
the  Foxes,  and  the  Pottawatamies,  occupied  the 
territory  and  had  many  villages.  There  were 
no  national  boundary  lines.  A  prominent  route 
of  travel  was  the  Kishwaukee  Trail  from  Wat- 
seca  in  Eastern  Illinois  up  the  Kankakee  to 
where  it  flows  into  the  Illinois,  and  thence  in 
a  northwesterly  direction  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Kishwaukee  on  Rock  River,  about  six  miles  be 
low  Rockford.  Dixon  was  the  great  center  of 
trails.  The  principal  one  was  from  Kaskaskia 
by  way  of  Dixon  to  Galena,  Illinois.  Numerous 
other  trails  connected  prominent  points  and 
various  Indian  villages. 

In  1804  a  treaty  was  made  with  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes  at  St.  Louis,  of  which  the  principal  pro 
vision  were  as  follows : 

"  Article  1.  The  United  States  receive  the 
united  Sac  and  Fox  tribes  into  their  friendship 
and  protection  and  the  said  tribes  agree  to  con- 

[13] 


14  INDIAN  TROUBLES. 

sider  themselves  under  the  protection  of  the 
United  States,  and  no  other  power  whatsoever. 
"Article  2.  The  General  boundary  line  be 
tween  the  land  of  the  United  States  and  the  said 
Indian  tribes  shall  be  as  follows,  to-wit:  Be 
ginning  at  a  point  on  the  Missouri  River  oppo 
site  to  the  mouth  of  the  Gasconde  River ;  thence, 
in  a  direct  course  so  as  to  strike  the  River  Jef- 
freon  to  the  Mississippi;  thence,  up  the  Missis 
sippi  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ouisconsing  [Wiscon 
sin]  River,  and  up  the  same  to  a  point  which 
shall  be  36  miles  in  a  direct  line  from  the  mouth 
of  the  said  river,  thence,  by  a  direct  line  to  the 
point  where  the  Fox  River  (a  branch  of  the 
Illinois)  leaves  the  small  lake  called  Sakaegan; 
thence,  down  the  Fox  River  to  the  Illinois 
River,  and  down  the  same  to  the  Mississippi. 
And  the  said  tribes,  for  and  in  consideration  of 
the  friendship  and  protection  of  the  United 
States,  which  is  now  extended  to  them,  of  the 
goods  (to  the  value  of  two  thousand  two  hun 
dred  and  thirty-four  dollars  and  fifty  cents) 
which  are  now  delivered,  and  of  the  annuity 
hereinafter  stipulated  to  be  paid,  do  hereby 
cede  and  relinquish  forever,  to  the  United 
States,  all  the  lands  included  within  the  above 
described  boundary. 


INDIAN  TROUBLES.  15 

''Article  3.  In  consideration  of  the  cession 
and  relinquishment  of  land  made  in  the  preced 
ing  article,  the  United  States  will  deliver  to  the 
said  tribes,  at  the  town  of  St.  Louis,  or  some 
other  convenient  place  on  the  Mississippi,  yearly 
and  every  year,  goods  suited  to  the  circum 
stances  of  the  Indians  of  the  value  of  one  thou 
sand  dollars  (six  hundred  of  which  are  intended 
for  the  Sacs  and  four  hundred  for  the  Foxes), 
reckoning  that  value  at  the  first  cost  of  the 
goods  in  the  City  or  place  in  the  United  States, 
where  they  shall  be  procured.  And  if  the  said 
tribes  shall  hereafter  at  an  annual  delivery  of 
the  goods  aforesaid,  desire  that  a  part  of  their 
annuity  should  be  furnished  in  domestic  ani 
mals,  implements  of  husbandry,  and  other  uten 
sils,  convenient  for  them,  or  in  compensation  to 
useful  artificers,  who  may  reside  with  or  near 
them,  and  be  employed  for  their  benefit,  the 
same  shall,  at  the  subsequent  annual  delivery, 
be  furnished  accordingly. 

"Article  4.  The  United  States  will  never  in 
terrupt  the  said  tribes  in  the  possession  of  the 
lands,  which  they  rightfully  claim,  but  will,  on 
the  contrary,  protect  them  in  the  quiet  enjoy 
ment  of  the  same  against  their  own  citizens  and 
against  all  other  white  persons,  who  may  in- 


16  INDIAN  TROUBLES. 

trude  upon  them.  And  the  said  tribes  do  here 
by  engage  that  they  will  never  sell  their  lands, 
or  any  part  thereof,  to  any  sovereign  power  but 
the  United  States,  nor  to  the  citizens  or  subjects 
of  any  other  sovereign  power,  nor  to  the  cit 
izens  of  the  United  States. 

********* 

" Article  7.  As  long  as  the  lands  which  are 
now  ceded  to  the  United  States  remain  their 
[U.  S.'l  property,  the  Indians  belonging  to  the 
said  tribes  shall  enjoy  the  privileges  of  living 
and  hunting  upon  them."3 

The  ChippewTas,  the  Winnebagos,  and  the 
Pottawatamies,  made  claim  to  the  same  terri 
tory.  Even  the  Foxes  and  Sacs  claimed  that 
the  young  chiefs  who  signed  the  treaty,  were 
made  drunk,  and  while  in  that  condition  agreed 
to  the  treaty.4  Also,  the  Indians  maintained 
that  the  United  States  would  not  allow  them  to 
hunt  upon  the  "wild"  lands,  notwithstanding 
'Art.  7  of  the  treaty  and  that  the  title  thereto 
was  still  in  the  government.  Therefore,  the  In 
dians  refused  to  ratify  the  treaty,  and  the  idea 
that  they  were  grievously  wronged  became  a 
fixed  notion  in  the  minds  of  the  old  chiefs, 


••2  "Indian  Affairs,  Laws  and  Treaties",  174. 
4Black    Hawk's    Autobiography,    Le    Claire,    Ch.    3. 
12  "The  Republic",  Irelan,  68. 


INDIAN  TROUBLES. 


17 


15LACK   HAWK   AS   A   WABRIOR. 

which  led  to  the  Red  Bird  War  of  1827,  and  the 
still  greater  Black  Hawk  War  in  1832.5 

S3   Smith's   "History  of  Wisconsin"    (1854),   115   et 
seq.;  "Waubun,"  Kinzie,  381. 


18  INDIAN  TROUBLES. 

Black  Hawk  had  fought  with  the  English  in 
the  War  of  1812,  and  by  reason  of  the  defeat  of 
the  English,  including  his  own,  he  retained  his 
natural  desire  for  revenge  against  the  Amer 
icans.  He  was  born  at  Rock  Island,  and  had  as 
strong  love  for  his  native  place  as  was  ever  re 
tained  by  any  white  man.  When  Illinois  be 
came  a  state  in  1818,  Black  Hawk  with  all  his 
people  was  ordered  to  move  across  the  Missis 
sippi  into  Iowa,  which  he  reluctantly  obeyed. 
However,  he  was  never  satisfied  with  his  new 
location,  and  in  1832  he  again  crossed  the  Mis 
sissippi  with  four  hundred  warriors  and  all 
their  squaws  and  children  and  squatted  on  his 
former  possessions  at  Rock  Island.  He  was 
ordered  back  to  Iowa,  but  refused  to  go  until 
he  learned  that  troops  were  being  sent  against 
him.  With  all  his  people  he  retired  north  along 
Rock  River,  followed  by  the  Illinois  militia, 
and  when  he  reached  a  point  about  twenty-five 
miles  south  of  Rockford,  he  halted  and  held  a 
council  of  war  with  chiefs  of  the  Pottawatomies 
and  Winnebagoes.  where  he  delivered  the  fol 
lowing  speech: 

"I  was  born  at  the  Sac  Village,  and  here  I 
spent  my  childhood,  youth  and  manhood.  I 
liked  to  look  on  this  place  with  its  surroundings 


INDIAN  TROUBLES.  19 

of  big  rivers,  shady  groves  and  green  prairies. 
Here  are  the  graves  of  my  father  and  some  of 
my  children.  Here  I  expected  to  live  and  die 
and  lay  my  bones  beside  those  near  and  dear 
to  me;  but  now  in  my  old  age  I  have  been 
driven  from  my  home,  and  dare  not  look  again 
upon  this  loved  spot." 

The  old  chief  choked  with  grief  and  tears 
flowed  down  his  cheeks.  Covering  his  face  in 
his  blanket,  he  remained  silent  for  a  few  mo 
ments.  Then  wiping  away  his  tears,  he  con 
tinued  : 

"Before  many  moons  you,  too,  will  be  com 
pelled  to  leave  your  homes.  The  haunts  of  your 
youth,  your  villages,  your  corn  fields,  and  your 
hunting  grounds,  will  be  in  the  possession  of 
the  whites,  and  by  them  the  graves  of  your 
fathers  will  be  plowed  up,  while  your  people 
will  be  retreating  towards  the  setting  sun  to 
find  new  homes  beyond  the  Father  of  Waters. 
We  have  been  as  brothers;  we  fought  side  by 
side  in  the  British  war ;  we  hunted  together  and 
slept  under  the  same  blanket;  we  have  met  at 
councils  and  at  religious  feasts ;  our  people  are 
alike  and  our  interests  are  the  same."6 

On  the  14th  day  of  May,  1832,  the  militia 

'Memories  af  Sbaubena,  98. 


20  INDIAN  TROUBLES. 

under  Major  Stillman  arrived  within  eight  miles 
of  the  camp  of  Black  Hawk  who  sent  three 
Indians  under  a  flag  of  truce  to  negotiate  a 
treaty  with  the  whites.  The  wily  chief  also 
sent  five  other  Indians  to  a  point  where  they 
could  watch  the  unarmed  braves  carrying  the 
white  flag.  Stillman 's  men  refusing  to  recog 
nize  the  white  flag  set  upon  the  Indians,  killed 
one  and  captured  the  others,  and  then  set  off 
after  the  other  five  who  held  their  guns  cross 
wise  over  their  heads  as  a  sign  of  friendship. 
./'  The  whites  killed  two  of  the  five  and  chased 
the  others  into  Black  Hawk's  camp.  Then  the 
Indians  set  upon  Stillman 's  army,  cut  it  to 
pieces,  and  chased  the  scattered  remnants  for 
many  miles.  The  place  of  that  battle  is  known 
as  " Stillman 's  Run."7  The  disgrace  of  the  en 
tire  affair  has  been  a  dark  blot  upon  the  white 
man's  bravery  and  his  manner  of  dealing  with 
j/ihe  Indians.  Up  to  this  time  the  Indians  had 
^/committed  no  crime  nor  act  of  war  against  the 
whites.8 

Immediately    after    the    engagement    Black 
Hawk  called  another  council  of  his  braves,  at 


7"Life  of  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,"  Johnston,  35. 
812    Wis.    Hist.    Col.,    230;     "History    of    Indiana/' 
Esarey,  323;   "The  Black  Hawk  War,"  129-144. 


INDIAN  TROUBLES. 


21 


BLACK    HAWK   AS    A    CIVILIAN. 

which  it  was  determined  to  fight  to  the  last  and 
to  send  out  small  bands  of  Indians  to  the  var 
ious  white  settlements  to  destroy  them.  Among 
the  great  warriors  present  at  that  council  was 


22  INDIAN  TROUBLES. 

the  celebrated  Chief  Shabona  (Shab-eh-ney)9 
who  fought  beside  Tecumseh  at  his  down-fall  at 
the  battle  of  the  Thames.  Shabona  pleaded 
with  the  Indian  chiefs  to  give  up  the  war  and 
to  return  to  Iowa,  and  when  they  refused  to  do 
so,  he,  his  son  Pypagee,  and  his  nephew  Pyps, 
mounted  ponies  and  rode  to  the  various  white 
settlements  and  notified  the  people  of  the  dan 
ger  of  the  Indians.  The  first  horse  with  which 
Shabona  started,  dropped  dead  under  him; 
but  he  obtained  another  horse  from  a  farmer 
and  rode  day  and  night  until  he  had  warned 
the  whites  at  all  the  settlements. 

"L-o,  the  poor  Indian!  whose  untutored  mind 
Sees  God  in  the  clouds,  or  hears  Him  in  the  wind." 

— Pope. 

°7  Wis.  Hist.  Col.,  323,  415;  "The  Black  Hawk  War," 
Stevens,  160. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE   DAVIS   SETTLEMENT. 

The  father  of  our  heroines,  William  Hall, 
who  was  born  in  Georgia,  migrated  to  Ken 
tucky  where  he  married  Mary  J.  Wilburs,  and 
in  1825  emigrated  to  Mackinaw,  about  fifteen 
miles  south  of  Peoria,  Illinois,  where  he  opened 
a  farm.  Shortly  afterwards  he  moved  to  the 
lead  mines  near  Galena  where  he  staid  three 
years,  and  then  returned  to  Lamoille,  Bureau 
County,  Illinois.  In  the  spring  of  1832  he  sold 
out  his  mining  claim  and  settled  upon  a  home 
stead  about  two  miles  east  of  the  farm  of  Wil 
liam  Davis.  Prior  to  that  time  his  oldest 
daughter.  Temperance,  had  been  married  to 
Peter  Cartwright,  but  the  other  members  of  his 
family,  consisting  of  his  wife,  three  daughters — 
Sylvia,  aged  19,  Rachel,  aged  17,  and  Eliza 
beth,  aged  8  years,  and  two  boys,  were  liv 
ing  with  him.  Some  time  prior  to  the  massacre, 
two  Indians  named  Co-mee  and  To-qua-mee, 
who  had  been  frequent  visitors  at  the  Hall 
home  and  treated  kindly  by  Mr.  Hall's  daught 
ers,  endeavored,  after  the  custom  of  the  Indians, 
to  purchase  Sylvia  and  Rachel  from  their 
father.10 


10"The  Black  Hawk  War,"  Stevens,  149. 

[23] 


24 


THE  DAVIS  SETTLEMENT. 


MRS.    DUNAVAN,   AGED    16,  LIKENESS  OF 
SYLVIA   HALL. 

The  Halls  were  noted  for  their  hospitality. 
Judge  Edwin  Jerome  of  Detroit  relates  that  he 
was  the  guest  of  the  family  one  night  in  April 
1832.11 

William  Petigrew,  also  from  Kentucky,  who 
had  just  migrated  to  the  Davis  Settlement  and 
had  not  yet  established  a  home  for  himself,  with 
his  wife  and  two  children,  was  temporarily 
stopping  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Davis  at  the  time 
of  the  massacre. 


"1  "Michigan  Pioneers",  Jerome,  49. 


THE  DAVIS  SETTLEMENT.  25 

In  1830,  John  H.  Henderson  emigrated  from 
Tennessee  to  Indian  Creek  and  settled  on  a 
homestead  adjoining  the  land  of  Davis  on  the 
south.  Subsequently  the  Hendersons  became 
prominent  politicians,  both  in  Illinois  and  Iowa. 

In  the  spring  of  1830,  William  Davis,  a  Ken- 
tuckian,  and  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  settled  on 
a  land  claim  on  Big  Indian  Creek,  twelve  miles 
north  of  Ottawa,  in  the  northern  part  of  La 
Salle  County,  Illinois.  He  was  the  first  white 
settler  at  that  place. 

Agriculture  and  marriage  have  always  been 
the  great  necessities  to  found  permanent  civil 
ization.  To  establish  a  settlement  in  the  great 
west,  at  that  time,  a  blacksmith  shop  and  a  mill 
were  the  next  two  great  necessities,  and  around 
those  the  early  settlers  broke  up  the  wild  prairie 
and  on  the  upturned  sod  sowed  buckwheat,  tur 
nips  and  sod-corn,  which  within  three  months 
produced  their  first  food  from  the  soil  for  them 
selves  and  their  stock.  To  "break"  the  tough 
prairie  sod  required  a  sharp  plowshare  and  col 
ter,  which  had  to  be  resharpened  frequently. 
Without  the  blacksmith  the  prairie  could  hardly 
be  cultivated.  The  big  ox-teams  of  the  neigh 
bors,  with  which  they  had  moved  into  the  coun 
try,  pulled  the  plow.  Next,  with  the  crop  pro- 


26  THE  DAVIS  SETTLEMENT. 

duced,  the  grist  mill  to  grind  the  grain  was  a 
great  necessity.  The  Indians  and  some  of  the 
early  settlers  with  hammers  and  stones  pulver 
ized  corn  and  wheat  enough  to  supply  their  ab 
solute  wants  from  day  to  day,  but  the  whites, 
who  had  been  accustomed  to  corn-meal  and 
wheat-flour  bread,  were  not  satisfied  with  the 
mashed  product.  Therefore,  Davis,  who  sup 
plied  both  of  those  great  necessities,  was  a 
prominent  man  in  the  Davis  Settlement. 

The  mill-site  was  where  the  Sauk  trail  from 
Black  Hawk's  Village  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rock 
River  crossed  Big  Indian  Creek  and  continued 
thence  east  to  Canada,  where  the  whole  tribe 
of  Sacs  went  every  year  to  get  their  annuities 
from  the  English  Government.12  Just  above  the 
ford  the  creek  meandered  through  a  flat-bot 
tomed  gulch  that  was  about  two  hundred  feet 
wide  with  precipitous  banks  about  fifteen  feet 
high.  At  this  point  the  stream  flowed  south 
easterly  and  was  fringed  along  its  course  with 
woods  that  grew  dense,  and  here  and  there  ex 
panded  into  groves,  but  at  other  places  there 
were  openings  where  the  prairie  fires  annually 
destroyed  the  undergrowth  and  left  standing 


"Blanchard's  History  of  Illinois,  122,  and  Historical 
Map. 


28  THE  DAVIS  SETTLEMENT. 

only  the  monarchs  of  the  forest.  The  north 
bank  of  the  gulch  had  an  incline  of  about  forty- 
five  degrees  to  the  level  of  the  prairie.  On  that 
bank  in  a  sparsely  timbered  opening  from  which 
the  prairie  stretched  off  to  the  cardinal  points 
of  the  compass,  William  Davis  located  his  home 
and  erected  his  cabin.  About  that  cabin  there 
were  trees  that  produced  fruit,  fuel  and  lum 
ber,  among  whose  branches  were  singing  birds 
of  great  variety,  including  the  Cardinal,  the 
Dickcissel,  the  Carolina  Wren,  the  Thrush  and 
the  Robin.  By  May  the  bank  was  covered  with 
a  carpet  of  thick,  waving  grass,  diversified  with 
ever-changing  colored  flowers,  until  the  cruel 
frost  of  Fall  destroyed  them.  It  was  an 
idyllic  spot.  No  doubt  Davis  hoped  that  some 
day  the  Davis  Settlement  would  become  Davis 
City,  and  that  his  generations  would  revel  in 
mansions  that  would  replace  the  cottage  on  the 
bank  of  that  new  Jordan,  where  he,  like  King 
David,  in  his  old  age  might  kneel  among  his 
people  to  pray. 

However,  the  hopes  and  aspirations  of  the 
Davis  family  were  soon  to  be  blasted.  Davis 
was  a  powerful  man  and  his  Kentucky  blood 
fairly  boiled  with  resentment  at  any  offense, 
particularly  one  given  by  an  Indian,  upon  whom 


THE  DAVIS  SETTLEMENT.  29 

he  looked  as  an  inferior.  With  his  gun  and 
howie  knife  Davis  would  fight  a  dozen  Indians 
—aye,  a  score.  It  seemed  as  though  he  could 
play  with  them  in  the  air  as  an  athlete  plays 
with  Indian  clubs. 

About  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  south  of 
his  cottage,  Davis  erected  a  blacksmith  shop 
and  a  mill.  To  obtain  water  power  for  his  mill 
it  became  necessary  for  Davis  to  put  a  dam 
across  the  stream.  Six  miles  farther  up  Indian 
Creek  there  was  an  Indian  village,  and  as  the 
fish  naturally  went  up  the  stream  every  spring, 
there  was  good  fishing  at  the  village  for  the 
Indians.  The  dam  prevented  the  fish  from  go 
ing  up,  and  the  Indians  protested  against  this 
invasion  of  their  rights.  Davis,  however,  in 
sisted  on  his  rights  to  build  and  maintain  the 
dam,  and  bad  feelings  were  engendered. 

One  day  in  April,  1832.  Davis  discovered  an 
Indian  tearing  an  outlet  in  the  dam,  and  with 
a  hickory  stick  he  beat  the  Indian  unmerci 
fully.13  Had  he  killed  the  Indian  it  might  have 
ended  the  affair;  but  to  whip  an  Indian  with  a 
stick  as  you  would  whip  a  dog,  was  an  insult 
that  incurred  the  resentment  of  the  whole  In 
dian  village,  and  instilled  in  the  Indian  a  rank- 
13Black  Hawk's  Autobiography,  Le  Claire,  Ch.  XII. 


30 


THE  DAVIS  SETTLEMENT. 


CHIEF    SHABONA. 

ling  desire  for  revenge.  The  incident,  however, 
was  settled  by  Chief  Shabona  with  the  assist 
ance  of  another  Indian  chief  named  Waubansee, 
who  advised  the  Indians  not  to  resort  to  force 
ful  reparation  and  to  do  their  fishing  below  the 
dam.  The  Indians  followed  Shabona 's  advice 
for  some  time,  but  after  a  while  Davis  noticed 
that  they  ceased  to  go  below  the  dam  to  fish, 
and  being  quite  familiar  with  the  Indian  char 
acter,  he  took  it  as  an  intimation  of  their  anger, 
and  he  prepared  for  hostilities. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

TJIE    MASSACRE. 

The  year  1831  was  known  to  early  settlers  in 
Illinois  as  "The  Dry  Year."  There  was  little 
rain  and  there  were  long  spells  of  great  heat,  so 
that  vegetation  was  parched  and  the  crop  a 
failure.  The  season  of  1832  was  just  the  oppo 
site.14  During  the  first  half  of  the  month  of 
May  there  were  numerous  heavy  thunder  storms 
with  intervals  of  hot  weather  that  made  the 
grass  and  flowers  grow  very  rapidly,  but  de 
layed  the  farmers  in  their  planting.  Also,  the 
several  Indian  scares  interrupted  the  settlers  in 
their  regular  work  in  the  fields. 

As  already  stated,  immediately  after  the 
breaking  up  of  the  Indian  council  after  the  de 
feat  of  Stillman,  Shabona  rode  in  post  haste  to 
the  Davis  Settlement  and  warned  the  people  of 
the  danger  of  an  Indian  massacre.  The  whites 
loaded  on  their  wagons  such  articles  as  could 
be  readily  handled,  and  drove  to  Ottawa,  the 
nearest  fort,  where  there  was  a  garrison  of  sol 
diers. 

The  Indians  did  not  make  the  expected  raid, 
and  slowly  the  settlers  returned  to  their  home- 

""Historic  Illinois,"  Parish,  258. 
[31] 


32  THE  MASSACRE. 

steads.  During  this  retreat  some  of  the  people 
tantalized  Davis  for  running  away  from  the 
Indians,  and  his  reply  was  that  he  would  never 
do  so  again. 

On  Monday  morning,  May  21st,  Shabona 
again  rode  to  the  Davis  Settlement  and  warned 
the  whites  that  there  was  immediate  danger  of 
a  massacre.  At  this  time  it  happened  that  Davis 
was  at  Ottawa  on  some  business  when  Shabona 
called.  However,  his  family  and  the  neighbors 
hastily  loaded  their  furniture  and  other  mov 
able  articles  on  wagons,  and  hurriedly  drove  off 
to  Ottawa.  They  had  almost  reached  the  fort 
when  they  met  Davis,  who  ordered  his  own  fam 
ily  to  return,  and  urged  the  return  of  his  im 
mediate  neighbors,  inviting  them  all  to  go  to  his 
place  where  they  would  be  perfectly  safe.  The 
Halls,  Hendersons  and  Pettigrews,  with  two 
farm  hands  named  Henry  George  and  Robert 
Norris,  reluctantly  returned  with  Davis,  and 
arrived  at  his  cottage  about  noon. 

After  dinner  John  W.  Henderson,  Alexander 
Davis  and  a  younger  son  of  William  Davis,  Ed 
ward  and  Greenbury  Hall,  and  Allen  Howard, 
went  to  a  field  about  one  hundred  rods  south  of 
the  Davis  cottage,  to  plant  corn.  In  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon  William  Hall,  John  W.  Hall, 


THE  MASSACRE.  33 

Robert  Norris,  Henry  George  and  William 
Davis,  Jr.,  who  were  working  on  the  mill-dam, 
gathered  into  the  blacksmith  shop  where  Davis 
was  repairing  his  gun,  to  get  a  drink  from  a 
pail  of  water  which  had  been  brought  from  a 
nearby  spring.  All  the  loaded  guns  and  the 
ammunition  were  in  the  dwelling  house,  where 
Pettigrew,  with  his  baby  in  his  arms,  was  chat 
ting  with  the  ladies  who  were  sewing  by  the 
open  door.  The  afternoon  was  very  hot  and 
was  not  inspiring  to  great  exertion.  The  furni 
ture  which  had  been  loaded  to  drive  to  Ottawa, 
was  still  on  the  wagons  that  stood  in  the  yard. 
The  perfume  of  the  blooming  flowers  filled  the  < 
air  which  was  rich  in  its  freshness  after  the 
many  days  of  rain  and  lightning.  All  nature 
seemed  to  instil  in  the  little  Davis  Settlement  a 
feeling  of  safety  or  at  least  to  relieve  them  from 
alarm  during  the  daytime.  With  the  coming 
darkness,  no  doubt,  they  would  have  all  gath 
ered  into  the  little  cottage  and  some  of  the  men 
would  have  stood  guard  with  their  guns  to 
watch  for  Indians. 

About  four  o'clock  a  party  of  sixty  to  seventy 
Indians  suddenly  leaped  over  the  garden  fence, 
filled  the  yard,  and  part  of  them  rushed  towards 
the  house.  Mr.  Pettigrew  leaped  forward  to 


34  THE  MASSACRE. 

close  the  door,  but  was  instantly  shot  dead. 
Through  the  open  door  the  Indians  rushed  with 
spears,  and  hatchets,  and  guns,  filling  the  little 
cottage.  There  was  no  place  to  hide  and  no 
chance  for  the  whites  to  escape.  In  her  despair 
Mrs.  Pettigrew  threw  her  arms  around  Rachel 
Hall  and  was  killed  by  a  shot  so  close  to  Rachel 
as  to  blacken  her  face  with  the  powder.  Rachel 
jumped  upon  the  bed,  which  only  placed  her  in 
view  of  more  Indians  and  increased  the  danger 
of  being  shot. 

iX  The  piteous  screams  of  the  women  and  chil 
dren  were  terrifying.  The  Indians  stuck  them 
with  spears  and  hacked  them  with  tomahawks 
without  feeling  or  mercy,  and  as  they  fell  each 
victim's  scalp  was  cut  off  with  a  big  knife. 

An  Indian  grabbed  Pettigrew 's  baby  by  the 
legs,  rushed  out  doors,  swung  the  child  over 
his  head,  and  dashed  its  brains  out  against  a 
stump  in  the  yard.  There,  also,  an  Indian  on 
each  side  held  the  youngest  Davis  boy  by  his 
hands,  the  little  lad  standing  pale  and  silent, 
and  a  third  Indian  shot  him  dead.  As  his  limp 
body  fell,  an  Indian  scalped  him. 

In  a  few  moments  all  the  whites  in  the  house 
excepting  Sylvia  and  Rachel  Hall,  namely :  Mrs, 


THE  MASSACRE.  35 

Wm.  Hall,  aged  forty-five  years,  her  daughter 
Elizabeth,  aged  eight  years,  Wm.  Pettigrew, 
his  wife  and  two  children,  and  Mrs.  Wm.  Davis 
and  her  five  children,  were  killed. 

The  sudden  appearance  of  the  Indians  bewil 
dered  the  men  who  were  in  the  blacksmith  shop, 
as  they  were  cut  off  from  their  guns  and  am 
munition.  Young  Davis  slipped  behind  the  shop 
and  thence  escaped  down  the  creek.  The  others 
rushed  towards  the  house  and  were  met  by  a 
volley  of  shots.  William  Hall,  whose  breast  was 
pierced  by  two  bullets,  with  a  prayer  on  his  lips, 
fell  dead  at  his  son  John's  feet.  Davis  called 
out  to  John  Hall  to  "Take  care!"  and  then 
tried  to  escape  to  the  woods.  Notwithstanding 
his  prowess  and  that  he  made  a  desperate  fight 
for  his  life  by  using  his  unloaded  gun  as  a  club, 
he  was  in  a  short  time  so  overcome  by  Indian 
warriors  with  their  spears  and  tomahawks  that 
with  innumerable  wounds  he  sank  dead  in  his 
yard.  John  Hall  was  so  paralyzed  by  the  awful 
carnage,  that  for  a  moment  he  did  not  move 
from  where  his  father  lay.  He  watched  the  In 
dians  reloading  their  guns,  then  as  a  man  awak 
ening  from  a  night-mare  he  jumped  down  the 
high  bank  and  a  volley  of  bullets  passed  over 


36  THE  MASSACRE.. 

his  head.  By  hugging  closely  to  the  bank  next 
the  Indians,  he  scrambled  hastily  down  the 
stream  and  then  ran  as  he  never  ran  before, 
thus  escaping.  Norris  and  George  slid  down 
the  bank  and  attempted  to  cross  the  creek,  but 
a  volley  of  bullets  from  the  Indians  killed  one 
of  them  as  he  was  climbing  the  bank,  his  body 
falling  back  into  the  creek,  and  the  other  fell 
on  the  green  sward  above. 

John  W.  Henderson,  two  sons  of  Wm.  Davis 
and  two  sons  of  Wm.  Hall,  who  were  at  work 
in  the  cornfield  when  the  Indians  made  the  at 
tack  upon  the  Davis  cottage,  comprehending  the 
situation,  hastily  fled  to  Ottawa.  They  had  sped 
only  about  two  miles  when  John  W.  Hall  over 
took  them.  By  reason  of  his  scudding  from 
death  in  the  great  heat  and  his  excited  condi 
tion,  John's  account  of  the  massacre  was  inco 
herently  told  with  uncontrolled  emotions  of 
grief  and  rage.  Believing  that  the  Indians 
were  pursuing,  he  did  not  check  his  speed,  but 
urged  the  others  to  extra  efforts  until  they 
reached  the  fort. 

Sylvia  and  Rachel  Hall  were  each  seized  by 
two  Indians  who  dragged  them  out  of  the  cot 
tage  to  the  yard  where  the  final  acts  of  the  mas 
sacre  were  taking  place. 


THE  MASSACRE.  37 


In  their  fiendish  desire  for  revenge  for 
man's  treachery  and  to  terrify  the  whites,  the 
Indians  cut  out  the  hearts  of  some  of  the  slain 
and  otherwise  mutilated  their  bodies.  Of  all 
the  whites  none  but  Kachel  and  Sylvia  Hall  re 
mained  alive  to  witness  the  closing  act  of  the 
horrible  tragedy.  As  they  saw  scattered  in  the 
yard  the  bodies  of  their  murdered  parents,  their 
sister,  and  their  neighbors  —  sixteen  in  all,  the 
girls  were  stupefied  with  horror.  The  wonder 
is  that  the  shock  did  not  kill  both  of  them. 

The  massacre  has  been  described  so  often,  and 
is  so  sickening  in  its  particulars,  that  we  drop 
the  curtain  on  the  tragic  scene.15 

153  Smith's  "History  of  Wisconsin",  187;  "History 
of  La  Salle  County,"  Baldwin,  95;  fiThe  Black  Hawk 
War,"  Stevens,  150;  "Memories  of  Shabona,"  Mat- 
son,  145-155;  Ottawa  Journal,  Aug.  30,  1906;  12  Trans 
actions  111.  State  Hist.  Soc.,  332;  Ford's  History  of 
Illinois,  122. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    CAPTIVITY. 

A  person  never  knows  what  he  would  do 
under  conditions  and  circumstances  never  be 
fore  experienced :  a  mother  who  would  flee  from 
a  cow,  would,  to  protect  her  child,  fight  a  tiger 
without  thought  of  her  own  safety;  a  timid 
deer  that  would  flee  from  a  baby,  when  its 
nature  is  changed  by  a  serious  wound  will  fight 
a  hunter  to  death ;  a  soldier's  nature  becomes  so 
changed  in  battle  that  he  obeys  orders  like  an 
automaton!,  and  in  his  efforts  to  kill  men  exerts 
himself  until  the  sweat  rolls  down  his  face  as  it 
would  down  the  face  of  a  harvest  hand  mowing 
grass. 

Sylvia  and  Rachel  Hall,  who  in  the  peace  of 
their  home  would  faint  at  the  sight  of  blood, 
had  their  nature  so  changed  during  the  slaugh 
ter  and  mutilation  of  their  dear  relatives  and 
friends  that  they  viewed  the  scene  with  horror 
that  almost  paralyzed  them  and  put  them  in  a 
psychological  condition  of  mental  aberration. 

The  spell  of  lethargy  was  rudely  broken  when 
the  girls  were  dragged  off  as  captives,  first  to 
the  creek,  and,  after  Rachel  had  been  pulled 
half  way  across  the  stream,  then  back  again  to 

[38] 


THE   CAPTIVITY.  39 

the  yard.  There  two  Indians,  each  seizing  one 
of  Sylvia's  hands,  and  two  others  taking  Rachel 
in  a  similar  manner,  hustled  the  girls  north 
ward  along  the  easterly  side  of  the  creek.  The 
girls  were  soon  in  unknown  lands  through 
which  they  were  tugged  on,  and  on,  not  know 
ing  whither  nor  to  what  fate.  Did  they  cry? 
Of  course  they  did;  strong  men  would  have 
wept  under  similar  circumstances.  Did  they 
pray?  Yes;  but  their  prayers  were  not  like  the 
Pharisee 's :  they  prayed  with  an  intense  feeling 
from  the  bottom  of  their  hearts  and  with  all 
the  power  of  their  souls.  Were  their  prayers 
answered?  Were  they?  Read  on,  read  on! 

After  being  hustled  and  half  dragged  about 
a  mile  and  a  half,  they  came  to  where  a  number 
of  horses  were  tied  in  the  edge  of  a  grove.  Here 
they  met  friends:  horses  belonging  to  their 
father  and  their  neighbors.  The  horses  pricked 
up  their  ears,  looked  at  the  girls  and  whinnied 
—returning  the  girls'  recognition.  If  the  girls 
could  have  mounted  two  of  these  friendly  ani 
mals  that  were  bred  in  Kentucky  they  might 
have  ridden  to  freedom;  but  it  was  not  so  to  be. 

The  Indians  put  each  girl  on  a  pony  furnished 
with  an  Indian  saddle  and  led  by  a  warrior. 
Thus  they  traveled  on,  keeping  due  north. 


40  THE  CAPTIVITY. 

After  the  sun  had  set  the  additional  terror  of 
darkness  was  enveloping  them.  Occasionally  a 
night-hawk  would  break  the  awful  silence  by 
swooping  down  from  his  great  height  with  his 
accustomed  "Boo-oo-oo,"  and  a  whippoor-will 
would  add  his  monotonous  whistle  from  a  de 
cayed  log  in  the  adjacent  woods.  Otherwise,  it 
was  as  solemn  a  procession  as  ever  moved  to  the 
grave,  and  only  for  the  crack  of  his  whip  and 
an  occasional  "ugh"  from  an  Indian  there  was 
little  to  attract  attention  until  they  passed  a 
large  grove  on  their  left.  The  girls  had  heard 
of  Shabona's  Grove.  Was  this  that  historical 
sylvan  place?  Would  Shabona  come  to  their 
relief?  He  had  saved  them  and  their  friends 
before,  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  obstinacy 
of  Davis  they  would  not  have  been  in  their 
awful  predicament.  But  the  chief,  worn  out 
and  tired  from  his  long  wild  ride  of  the  night 
before  and  asleep  in  his  tent,  was  unconscious 
of  the  passing  of  that  strange  and  unusual  pro 
cession. 

Hour  after  hour  passed  as  the  girls  rode  along 
weary  and  heart-sick  on  that  dark  night,  with 
nothing  but  the  stars  to  light  their  way,  and  not 
a  ray  of  hope  in  their  hearts.  The  head  waters 
of  Indian  creek  and  of  the  Somonauk  had  been 


THE  CAPTIVITY.  41 

passed  and  the  source  of  the  Sycamore  was 
reached  just  as  the  moon  was  rising,  51  min 
utes  after  twelve  o'clock.16  Here  the  first  stop 
was  made  and  the  girls  were  allowed  to  rest  on 
some  blankets  on  which  they  sat  together,  not 
daring  to  lie  down  to  sleep.  The  Indians 
holding  their  ponies  by  the  bridles,  danced  a 
little,  but  nothing  was  said  that  would  indicate 
their  intent,  either  as  to  the  place  of  destina 
tion  or  what  they  intended  to  do  with  their  cap 
tives.  As  the  girls  could  not  speak  the  Indian 
language  or  understand  it,  there  was  little  me 
dium  of  communication  between  them  and  the 
Indians.  Their  feelings  of  sorrow  for  their  mur 
dered  relatives  mixed  with  the  uncertainty  of 
their  own  fate,  and  their  disheveled  hair  and 
soiled  cheeks  through  which  their  tears  washed 
courses,  made  them  objects  of  woeful  misery. 
Oh !  if  the  girls  could  only  wash  their  faces, 
which  were  stained  with  powder  and  the  blood 
of  their  dear  friends,  or  even  in  their  sorrow 
comb  each  other's  hair  as  they  had  often  done 
at  their  father's  cottage,  it  would  have  re 
freshed  them,  and,  to  some  extent,  relieved  their 
distress. 


"Washington   Observatory   Record;    "Old   Farmer's 
Almanac,"  1832. 


42  THE   CAPTIVITY. 

About  half -past  three  o'clock  in  the  morning 
of  May  22nd,  the  girls  were  replaced  on  the 
ponies,  the  Indians  remounted,  and  once  more 
the  train  proceeded  in  its  former  order,  with 
Indians  before,  on  the  sides,  and  in  the  rear  of 
the  girls.  They  passed  groves,  here  and  there, 
and  hour  after  hour,  with  tiresome  monotony, 
they  moved  along. 

After  the  sun  had  lapped  the  dew,  it  grew 
very  warm  and  Rachel  became  wreary  almost  to 
collapse.  She  thought  that  if  she  could  walk 
for  a  little  while  it  would  give  her  relief,  not- 
Avithstanding  her  weak  condition  from  fasting 
and  worry.  She  did  not  know  the  language  of 
the  Indians,  but  necessity  finds  a  way :  she  made 
signs  of  distress  and  indicated  that  she  wanted 
to  walk.  The  Indians  understood  her  and  as 
sisted  her  from  her  pony.  This  little  act  of 
gallantry  gave  her  the  first  indication  of  their 
l/xftuman  sympathy  and  inspired  her  with  some 
confidence  in  their  honor. 

Limp  and  staggering,  she  managed  to  keep 
pace  with  the  procession.  When  they  reached 
the  Kishwaukee  there  was  no  hesitation  and  all 
plunged  into  the  stream.  Rachel,  who  had  not 
been  replaced  on  her  pony,  was  forced  to  wade 
across  through  water  three  feet  deep. 


THE  CAPTIVITY.  43 

It  was  now  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
and  a  stop  was  made  about  twenty-five  miles 
easterly  from  Stillman's  Run,  on  the  west  of 
a  large  grove,  to  allow  the  ponies  to  graze  on 
the  bank  of  the  river.  Here  they  remained  for 
about  two  hours.  The  Indians  scalded  some 
beans  and  roasted  some  acorns,  of  which  they 
ate  heartily  and  offered  portions  to  the  girls, 
who  tried  to  eat  so  as  not  to  offend  the  Indians. 

After  the  Indians  had  finished  their  lunch 
they  busied  themselves  in  stretching  on  little 
hoops  the  scalps  that  they  had  taken  in  the 
massacre  at  Indian  Creek.  The  girls  immedi 
ately  recognized  the  scalps  of  some  of  their 
friends,  particularly  the  scalp  of  their  mother. 
The  sight  caused  Sylvia  to  faint.  Limp  and  un 
conscious  she  lay  beside  her  sister,  who  by  the 
incident  was  again  put  into  her  former  psychic 
condition,  being  oblivious  to  everything  about 
her  excepting  her  sister's  care.  The  subcon 
scious  thought  that  she  had  to  protect  Sylvia 
inspired  her  with  superhuman  strength  as  well 
as  the  fighting  spirit  of  a  lioness.  If  Sylvia 
should  die  !  what  then  ?  If  she  should  be  unable 
to  travel,  would  the  Indians  kill  her?  What  tor 
ture  of  mind  Rachel  must  have  suffered ! 

About  four  o'clock  Sylvia  regained  her  con- 


44  THE  CAPTIVITY. 

sciousness,  to  the  great  relief  of  Rachel  who  re 
covered  her  normal  condition  of  mind.  By  this 
time  the  Indians  had  gathered  their  horses,  and 
replacing  the  girls  on  the  ponies  that  they  had 
been  riding,  all  moved  forward  leisurely. 

Shortly  after  starting  a  detachment  of  the 
Indians  was  sent  out  to  scout  to  the  westward, 
arid  after  being  gone  some  time  they  returned 
apparently  excited,  and  immediately  the  proces 
sion  assumed  a  double-quick,  during  which  the 
Indian  guards  in  the  rear  held  their  spears 
poised,  as  though  they  expected  an  attack. 
After  traveling  in  that  manner  for  about  five 
miles,  the  Indians  resumed  their  composure  and 
slackened  their  speed  to  a  walking  pace. 

Had  the  Indians  seen  some  of  Gen.  Whiteside's 
scouts?  Had  they  learned  that  a  detachment 
of  Illinois  Militia,  of  which  Abraham  Lincoln 
was  a  member,  was  moving  towards  them  up 
the  Kishwaukee?17  Or,  were  the  Indians  pur 
sued  by  the  friends  of  the  girls  ? 

If  the  whites  should  attack  the  Indians,  Sylvia 
and  Rachel  feared  that  they  would  share  the 
fate  of  their  relatives  and  friends  at  the  Davis 
Settlement.  Therefore,  when  the  excitement  of 


17XII  Wis.   Hist.  Col.,  241,  242;    "The  Black  Hawk 
War."  146. 


THE   CAPTIVITY.  45 

the  Indians  subsided,  a  feeling  of  relief  from 
danger  of  immediate  death  calmed  the  girls. 

The  extra  exertion  during  the  scare  caused 
the  pony  that  Sylvia  was  riding  to  give  out,  and 
it  was  abandoned.  Sylvia  was  then  placed  be 
hind  an  Indian  on  a  fine  horse  belonging  to  Mr. 
Henderson,  which,  like  the  girls,  had  been  taken 
captive  at  Indian  Creek.  Thus  they  traveled, 
en  and  on,  until  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  even 
ing  when  they  arrived  at  Black  Hawk's  Grove 
on  the  east  side  of  the  present  city  of  Janesville, 
Wisconsin,  where  the  whole  of  Black  Hawk's 
tribe  was  encamped.18  During  twenty-eight 
hours  the  girls  had  traveled  about  eighty  miles 
from  the  place  of  their  capture,  and  were  worn 
out  almost  beyond  description.  No  one  can 
fully  comprehend  their  condition  without  re 
flecting  upon  that  extremely  long  ride  on  horse 
back,  without  food  or  drink,  mourning  their 
dead,  and  tortured  with  the  worry  over  their 
future  fate. 

On  their  arrival  at  Black  Hawk's  Grove  there 
was  great  rejoicing  at  the  Indian  camp.  Sev 
eral  squaws  hurried  to  the  girls,  assisted  them 
off  their  horses,  and  conducted  them  to  the  cen- 

18Hist.  of  Rock  Co.,  by  Gurnsey  &  Willard,  19;   14 
Wis.  Hist.  Col.,  129;  6  Wis.  Hist.  Col.,  422. 


46  THE   CAPTIVITY. 

ter  of  the  camp  where  they  had  prepared  a 
comfortable  place  in  the  form  of  beds  of  animal 
skins  and  blankets.  Also,  the  squaws  brought 
in  wooden  bowls,  parched  corn,  meal  and  maple- 
sugar  mixed,  which  they  invited  the  girls  to 
eat.  More  through  fear  than  appetite,  the  girls 
partook  of  the  food,  although  it  was  disgusting 
to  them. 

The  squaws  requested  the  girls  to  throw  on 
the  fire  particles  of  food  and  some  tobacco 
which  they  handed  them.  The  girls  complied 
with  the  request  of  their  dusky  hosts,  although 
they  did  not  know  for  what  purpose  it  was  re 
quired.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  was  a  common 
practice  among  the  Indian  tribes  to  make  the 
offering  of  food  and  tobacco  to  their  gods  in 
case  of  escape  from  death  or  as  thanks  for  some 
extraordinary  good  fortune.19 

The  squaws  requested  Sylvia  and  Rachel  to 
lie  down  on  separate  beds,  and  then  a  squaw  lay 
on  each  side  of  each  of  the  girls,  so  that  there 
was  no  chance  for  escape.  Thus  abed,  they  had 
a  night  of  confused,  disordered  sleep,  in  which 
visions  of  their  friends  and  the  scenes  of  the 
massacre  haunted  them  almost  continually.  The 

192  "Indian  Tribes  of  U.  S.",  Drake,  68,  72 ;  6  School- 
craft's,  "History  of  Indian  Tribes  of  the  U.  S.",  83,  88. 


THE   CAPTIVITY.  47 

squaws  endeavored  to  soothe  the  girls,  but  they 
could  not  take  the  place  of  that  mother  who  in 
their  childish  nightmares  would  say  to  them: 
"My  dears,  say  a  prayer  and  try  to  sleep." 

"But  God  is  sweet. 

My  mother  told  me  so, 
When  I  knelt  at  her  feet 

Long — so  long — ago; 
She  clasped  my  hands  in  hers. 
Ah!   me,  that  memory  stirs 
My  soul's  profoundest  deep — 
No  wonder  that  I  weep. 
She  clasped  my  hands  and  smiled, 
Ah!  then  I  was  a  child — 
I  knew  no  harm — 
My  mother's  arm 
Was  flung  around  me;  and  I  felt 
That  when  I  knelt 

To  listen  to  my  mother's  prayer, 
God  was  with  mother  there. 
Yea!  "God  is  sweet!" 
She  told  me  so; 
She  never  told  me  wrong; 
And  through  my  years  of  woe 
Her  whispers  soft,  and  sad,  and  low, 

And  sweet  as  Angel's  song, 
Have  floated  like  a  dream." — Fr.  Ryan. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

TO    THE    RESCUE. 

When  John  W.  Hall  arrived  at  Ottawa  he  did 
not  know  that  his  sisters  had  been  taken  prison 
ers,  but  he  supposed  that  they  had  been  massa 
cred  with  the  rest  of  the  people  at  the  Davis 
cottage.  His  first  impulse  was  revenge,  and  he 
rushed  wildly  about,  urging  men  to  arm  and  go 
with  him  to  the  scene  of  the  massacre.  The 
spirit  of  adventure  was  rampant  among  the 
people  at  the  time,  and  John  soon  found  him 
self  at  the  head  of  a  considerable  number  of 
mounted  men  armed  with  all  kinds  of  guns,  who 
followed  him  like  a  moib,  from  Ottawa  to  the 
Davis  Settlement. 

On  their  way  out  they  met  some  of  the  men 
who  were  defeated  at  Stillman's  Run,  returning 
to  Ottawa.  John  endeavored  to  have  these  men 
accompany  him  to  the  Davis  Settlement,  but 
they  had  enough  of  Indian  adventure,  and  in 
stead  of  assisting  John,  discouraged  the  men 
with  him  from  engaging  in  a  fight  with  the 
Indians. 

When  John's  squadron  arrived  at  the  Davis 
cottage  there  was  presented  an  awful  sight — 
thirteen  murdered  and  mutilated  bodies  in  and 

[48] 


TO  THE  RESCUE.  49 

about  the  cottage,  some  hung  on  shambles  like 
butchered  pigs,  just  as  they  were  left  by  the 
Indians.  .On  the  creek  below  the  cottage  were 
found  the  bodies  of  Norris  and  George  where 
they  fell  from  the  bullets  of  the  Indians.  The 
absence  of  his  sisters  Rachel  and  Sylvia  from 
among  the  dead,  presented  to  John  a  new  quan 
dary.  A  careful  search  was  made  about  the 
premises  but  no  traces  of  the  girls  could  be 
found. 

After  having  seen  the  awful  deaths  of  their 
fellow-whites,  the  men  who  accompanied  John 
had  their  desire  for  adventure  changed  to  a 
feeling  of  fear,  which  they  tried  to  hide  under 
the  excuse  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  pro 
ceed  after  the  Indians  without  rations  and  tents. 

The  situation  was  a  trying  one  for  John.  In 
vain  did  he  appeal  to  the  men  to  help  him  rescue 
his  sisters.  Not  one  would  volunteer  to  go  with 
him,  and  after  burying  all  the  dead  in  one  grave 
in  front  of  the  little  cottage,  John  and  his 
squadron  hastily  returned  to  Ottawa. 

In  hopes  of  rescuing  his  sisters,  John  again 
recruited  a  force  and  obtained  the  necessaries  to 
follow  up  the  Indians.  Early  on  the  second  day 
after  the  massacre,  with  about  forty  men  and 
two  days'  rations,  without  any  commissary, 


50  TO  THE  RESCUE. 

John  led  his  little  army  to  the  Davis  Settlement 
and  along  the  Indian  trail  until  he  lost  it  on 
the  great  prairie.  He  concluded  that  the  In 
dians  had  taken  the  "Kishwaukee  Trail"  to 
where  the  Kishwaukee  flows  into  the  Rock 
River,  and  he  followed  that  route  until  he  ar 
rived  at  his  objective  point  without  attaining 
his  chief  aim.  Disappointed  in  not  even  getting 
any  information  of  his  sisters  and  in  not  find 
ing  further  track  of  the  Indians,  and  his  rations 
having  run  out,  John  was  again  obliged  to  re 
turn  with  his  troops  to  Ottawa  for  a  fresh  sup 
ply,  when  once  more  he  started  on  a  fruitless 
search  for  his  sisters. 


COL.    HENRY    GKATIOT. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MILITARY  MOVEMENTS. 

When  a  remnant  of  Stillman's  men  returned 
to  Dixon  after  an  exciting  ride  of  twenty-four 
miles  from  Stillman's  Run,  they  reported  that 
they  had  been  attacked  by  thousands  of  Indians 
and  that  all  the  rest  of  the  army  had  been  mas 
sacred.  The  exaggerated  report  set  a  few  of  the 
men  who  had  not  been  with  Stillman,  keen  to 
fight ;  but  it  instilled  into  most  of  them  a  sense 
of  home-sickness,  and  many  of  them  requested 
to  be  excused  from  duty.  Gen.  Taylor  imme 
diately  reported  the  situation  to  Gen.  Atkinson, 
at  Ottawa,  and  the  latter  ordered  Generals 
Whiteside  and  Barney,  who  were  in  command 
of  some  United  States  regulars,  to  pursue  the 
Indians. 

When  the  troops  arrived  at  Stillman's  Run 
they  found  the  bodies  of  thirteen  soldiers  and 
most  of  the  deserted  commissary  which  had  in 
cluded  a  barrel  of  whiskey  that  Black  Hawk 
emptied  on  the  ground.  Black  Hawk  destroyed 
the  wagons  and  everything  else  that  could  not 
be  carried  away,  excepting  a  few  boats  that  be 
longed  to  the  Indians  which  were  left  on  the 
river  bank, 

[51] 


52  MILITARY  MOVEMENTS. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  Black  Hawk  had  only 
forty  warriors  with  him  at  the  time  of  the  at 
tack  on  him  by  Stillman's  men,  while  Stillman 
had  about  three  hundred  men.  At  the  time  of 
the  attack  many  of  Stillman's  men  were  under 
the  influence  of  liquor  and  most  of  them  in  such 
a  state  of  insubordination  that  they  paid  no 
attention  to  the  orders  of  their  officers.  Thus 
they  rushed  into  the  camp  of  Black  Hawk,  and, 
as  each  was  acting  independently,  it  was  but  a 
short  time  until  the  Indians  by  their  shots  and 
yells  had  the  militia  scared  crazy  and  on  the 
run.20 

On  May  22nd,  in  accordance  with  Gen.  An 
derson's  order,  Gen.  Whiteside  took  up  and  fol 
lowed  the  Indian  trail  for  thirty-six  miles  along 
the  Kishwaukee  and  the  Sycamore;  but  when 
the  high  prairie  was  reached,  the  Indians  scat 
tered  so  in  all  directions  that  the  troops  were 
unable  to  track  them  further,  and  the  army 
proceeded  to  the  Fox  River  and  down  that 
stream  to  Ottawa,  where  it  arrived  on  May  27th. 

On  the  day  that  the  girls  passed  a  few  miles 
to  the  east,  the  United  States  troops  found  on 
the  Sycamore,  articles  belonging  to  the  Indians 

*°The  Black  Hawk  War,  Stevens,  133,  137. 


MILITARY  MOVEMENTS.  53 

who  committed  the  massacre  at  Davis  Settle 
ment,  among  which  were  three  scalps.  Perhaps 
it  was  fortunate  for  the  girls  that  Gen.  White- 
side  had  not  discovered  and  attacked  the  In 
dians,  because  under  such  circumstances  the 
Indians  might  have  murdered  them. 

Among  the  troops  under  Gen.  Whiteside  was 
the  company  in  which  Captain  Abraham  Lin 
coln,  subsequently  the  great  president  of  the 
United  States,  served.  Probably  the  girls  had 
not  yet  heard  of  him,  who,  if  he  had  known  of 
their  predicament,  might  have  ended  their  cap 
tivity  on  that  day. 

During  the  march  up  the  Sycamore,  an  old 
Pottawatomie  Indian  came  into  camp,  tired  and 
hungry,  with  a  letter  of  safe  conduct,  signed 
by  Gen.  Lewis  Cass.  Some  of  the  men  declared 
the  letter  was  a  forgery,  and  that  the  Indian 
was  a  spy  and  should  be  put  to  death.  When 
the  soldiers  threatened  the  poor  fellow,  Capt. 
Lincoln  stepped  forward  and  said  that  he  would 
shoot  any  man  who  would  assault  the  Indian.21 
It  can  be  readily  seen  how  a  man  of  Lincoln's 
bravery  and  superior  mental  resources,  might 
have  freed  the  girls  without  injury  to  them. 

21The  Black  Hawk  War,  285. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

REWARD    OFFERED. 

The  day  after  the  massacre  messengers  car 
ried  the  news  in  all  directions  to  the  various 
settlements  in  Illinois,  southern  Wisconsin, 
northern  Indiana  and  western  Michigan.  At 
every  settlement  block-houses  or  stockades  were 
built  and  the  whites  prepared  to  defend  them 
selves  against  attacks  of  the  Indians.  At  Ga 
lena  the  people  assembled  on  May  28th  and 
passed  resolutions  (among  other  things)  deplor 
ing  the  captivity  of  the  Hall  girls  and  declaring 
their  obligations  to  obtain  the  release  ol  the 
captives.  In  Michigan  along  the  lake  shore, 
there  was  great  excitement,  intensified  by  fre 
quent  rumors  that  the  Indians  were  coming.22 

Gen.  Atkinson  who  was  then  at  Ottawa  offered 
the  Indians  a  reward  of  $2,000  in  horses,  goods 
or  money,  for  the  safe  delivery  of  the  girls,  as  it 
was  feared  that  if  force  were  used  the  Indians 
would  murder  the  girls.  In  "Wisconsin,  Col. 
Dodge  who  had  command  at  Blue  Mounds  Fort 
(25  miles  west  of  Madison,  Wisconsin),  immedi 
ately  recruited  an  army  and  made  plans  to  get 

^Michigan  newspapers,  1832, 
[54} 


REWARD  OFFERED.  55 

the  girls.  Lieutenant  Edward  Beouchard  at 
Blue  Mounds  and  Henry  Gratiot  of  Gratiot 's 
Grove  (15  miles  northeast  of  Galena),  who  were 
friends  of  the  Indians  with  whom  they  had 
great  influence,  engaged  in  the  search  for  the 
girls. 

Gratiot  went  to  Turtle  Village  (now  Beloit, 
Wisconsin),  where  there  was  a  tribe  of  Winne- 
bagoes  with  whom  he  had  been  on  friendly 
terms  and  who  were  supposed  to  be  friends  of 
the  whites.  However,  the  Indians  took  him 
prisoner  and  he  almost  sacrificed  his  life  in  his 
endeavor  to  obtain  the  release  of  the  Hall  girls. 
He  succeeded,  however,  in  making  his  message 
known  to  the  Indians,  and  arousing  among  them 
a  strong  incentive  to  obtain  the  reward.  While 
he  was  held  as  a  prisoner,  an  Indian  chief  to 
whom  Gratiot  had  often  given  presents  and 
shown  kindness,  came  to  him  and  offered  his 
services  to  aid  in  Gratiot's  escape.  Also  Col. 
Gratiot  was  the  government  agent  who  paid  the 
Winnebagoes  their  annual  allowance  from  the 
United  States  government,  which,  no  doubt,  had 
some  influence.  The  Indian  took  the  Colonel  to 
his  tent,  and  late  in  the  night  silently  conducted 
him  to  the  river  and  gave  him  a  canoe  in  which 
he  paddled  to  safety.  On  his  return  home, 


56  REWARD  OFFERED. 

Gratiot  reported  that  the  captive  girls  were 
somewhere  near  the  head  of  Rock  River  in 
southern  Wisconsin.  He  had  gleaned  that  much 
information  from  conversations  among  the  In 
dians  whose  language  he  understood. 

Not  knowing  that  Col.  Gratiot  had  visited 
Turtle  Village,  Gen.  Anderson  sent  by  messen 
ger  to  Blue  Mounds,  the  following  letter: 

"Headquarters  Right  Wing  West.  Dept., 
Dixon's  Ferry,  27th  May,  1832. 
"Sir: 

' '  In  the  attack  of  the  Sac  Indians  on  the  set 
tlements  on  a  branch  of  Fox  River  the  22nd 
inst.,  fifteen  men,  women,  and  children,  were 
killed,  and  two  young  women  were  taken  pris 
oners.  This  heart-rending  occurrence  should 
not  only  call  forth  our  sympathies,  but  urge  us 
to  relieve  the  survivors. 

"You  will  therefore  proceed  to  the  Turtle 
Village  or  send  someone  of  confidence  and  pre 
vail  on  the  head  chiefs  and  braves  of  the  Win- 
nebagoes  there  to  go  over  to  the  hostile  Sacs 
and  endeavor  to  ransom  the  prisoners.  Offer 
the  Winnebagoes  a  large  reward  to  effect  the 
object:  $500  or  $1000  for  each. 


REWARD  OFFERED.  57 

''I  expected  to  have  heard  from  you  before 
this. 

Very  respectfully  your  obt.  sevt., 
H.  ATKINSON, 
Brig.  Gen.,  U.S.  Army." 
"Henry  Gratiot,  Esq., 

Indian  Agent.'' 

When  the  dispatch  reached  the  Mounds  on 
May  28,  Col.  Gratiot  who  had  already  visited 
Turtle  Village  had  not  returned,  and  Lieutenant 
Beouchard  who  was  then  in  command  of  the 
Fort,  opened  the  dispatch  and  forwarded  it  to 
the  Colonel.  Also,  Beouchard  sent  the  sub 
stance  of  the  dispatch  to  Col.  Dodge,  who  was 
then  at  Port  Union,  Col.  Dodge's  residence, 
near  Dodgeville.  Then  Lieutenant  Beouchard 
mounted  his  horse  and  rode  to  a  Winnebago 
encampment  which  was  situated  northeast  of 
Blue  Mounds  where  Chief  Wau-kon-kah  was  the 
head  Indian.  Beouchard  requested  the  chief  to 
go  to  White  Crow,  Whirling  Thunder  and 
Spotted  Arm  and  inform  them  of  the  captivity 
of  the  Hall  girls,  and  the  reward  that  had  been 
offered  for  their  release,  instructing  the  Indians 
to  get  the  girls  at  any  risk :  by  purchase,  if  pos 
sible;  but  by  force,  if  necessary.  He  assured 


58  REWARD  OFFERED. 

the  Indians  that  they  would  receive  the  reward 
in  case  of  success.  The  Indians  promised  to 
make  the  attempt. 

May  28th,  Col.  Gratiot  wrote  a  letter  to  Gov 
ernor  Porter,  of  Michigan,  telling  of  the  In 
dian  Creek  Massacre  and  the  captivity  of  the 
Hall  girls,  and,  among  other  things,  said :  "Com 
pelled  by  our  feelings  and  relying  on  the  jus 
tice  of  our  country,  we  did  not  hesitate  to  prom 
ise  a  few  of  my  trusty  "Winnebagoes  a  reward 
if  they  would  bring  us  those  ladies  unhurt.  We 
promised  them  the  highest  reward  that  could 
be  offered."  Therefore,  it  is  evident  that  Gra 
tiot  had  offered  a  reward  for  the  release  of  the 
girls  before  he  received  Gen.  Anderson's  dis 
patch. 

On  the  day  that  Col.  Gratiot  returned  from 
Turtle  Village,  he  received  Gen.  Anderson's 
letter.  On  the  same  day  he  received  further 
information  that  the  Winnebagoes  had  success 
in  their  endeavors  to  ransom  the  unfortunate 
girls,  and  he  immediately  started  for  Blue 
Mounds,  where  he  arrived  on  June  2nd, 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE   CAPTIVE  GIRLS. 

In  Chapter  V  we  left  the  girls  as  prisoners  at 
Black  Hawk's  Grove,  Janesville,  Wisconsin. 
Notwithstanding  their  night  of  disturbed  sleep 
and  great  need  for  rest,  the  girls  were  awak 
ened  at  daylight  by  the  noise  of  the  Indians 
around  the  tent. 

Soon  after  the  girls  arose  the  squaws  brought 
them  their  breakfast  which  consisted  of  dried 
sliced  meat,  coffee  and  porridge  made  of  corn 
pounded  and  water,  that  was  served  in  wooden 
bowls  with  wooden  spoons.  The  little  rest  that 
the  girls  got  through  the  night,  revived  them 
and  gave  them  some  appetite,  so  that  they  were 
able  to  eat  part  of  the  food,  although  they  did 
not  relish  it. 

Breakfast  being  finished,  the  Indians  cleared 
off  a  piece  of  ground  about  ninety  feet  in  cir 
cumference  and  erected  in  the  center  a  pole 
about  twenty-five  feet  high,  around  which  they 
set  up  fifteen  spears,  on  the  points  of  which 
were  placed  the  scalps  of  the  murdered  friends 
of  the  girls.  To  the  horror  of  the  girls,  they 
recognized  the  scalps  of  their  father,  mother 
and  Mrs.  Pettigrew.  Upon  three  separate  spears 

[59] 


60  THE  CAPTIVE  GI&LS. 

the  Indians  placed  three  human  hearts,  which 
added  greatly  to  the  horror  of  the  girls.  Was 
one  of  the  hearts  their  mother's? 

The  Indians  jabbered  among  themselves  for 
awhile  and  then  the  squaws  painted  one  side  of 
the  face  of  each  of  the  girls  red  and  the  other 
side  black.  Then  the  girls  were  laid  with  their 
faces  downward  on  blankets  near  the  center, 
just  leaving  room  for  the  Indians  to  pass  be 
tween  them  and  the  pole.  When  these  prelimi 
naries  were  completed,  the  warriors,  grasping 
in  their  hands  their  spears,  which  they  occasion 
ally  struck  into  the  ground,  and  yelling  all  the 
while  as  Indians  only  can,  danced  around  the 
girls.  Every  moment  while  this  was  going  on, 
the  girls  expected  to  be  thrust  through  with 
the  spears ;  but  they  had  become  so  harrassed 
with  dread  of  torture,  that  they  almost  wished 
to  have  death  end  their  troubles.  However,  not 
one  of  the  spears  touched  the  girls,  and  out 
side  of  keeping  them  in  terror,  they  were  in 
nowise  injured. 

After  the  warriors  had  continued  their  dance 
for  about  half  an  hour,  two  old  squaws  (one  of 
whom  was  the  wife  of  Black  Hawk)  led  the 
girls  away  to  a  wigwam  where  they  washed  off 
the  paint  as  well  as  they  could  by  scrubbing 


THE  CAPTIVE  GIRLS.  61 

them  unmercifully.  The  squaws  had  adopted 
the  girls,  and,  as  the  children  of  chiefs,  they 
were  not  required  to  work. 

The  Indians  having  finished  their  dance, 
struck  their  tents,  and,  after  a  good  deal  of 
bustle  and  confusion,  the  whole  camp  started 
in  a  northerly  direction.  When  they  reached 
v  point  beyond  the  grove,  it  seemed  to  the  girls 
that  the  whole  earth  was  alive  with  Indians. 
Probably  not  less  than  4,000  warriors,  squaws, 
and  children  constituted  that  army. 

Tired  and  sore  from  their  former  long  ride 
and  greatly  exhausted  by  their  constant  fears, 
it  was  an  extraordinary  ordeal  for  the  girls  to 
plunge  still  farther  into  the  wilderness.  During 
traveling  hours  the  girls  were  separated  and 
each  was  placed  in  charge  of  two  squaws. 
Whenever  the  army  halted  the  girls  were 
brought  together,  but  always  kept  under  the 
surveilance  of  the  four  squaws. 

Their  march  from  Black  Hawk's  Grove  was 
very  slow  and  over  a  broad  prairie.  Shortly 
before  sundown  the  Indians  pitched  their  tents 
at  Cold  Spring,  about  three  miles  southeast  of 
Ft.  Atkinson,  near  "Burnt  Village,"  the  camp 
of  Little  Priest.23 


-3Hist.  of  Jefferson  Co.,  327. 


62  THE  CAPTIVE  GIRLS. 

As  soon  as  the  tents  were  erected  everybody 
partook  of  some  food,  most  of  the  Indians  with 
out  any  utensils,  but  the  girls  were  supplied 
with  the  usual  dishes :  wooden  plates,  bowls  and 
spoons.  At  this  place  maple-sugar  seemed  to  be 
abundant  and  the  girls  were  furnished  all  of  it 
that  they  could  eat.  Also,  the  squaws  seemed 
to  appreciate  the  fact  that  the  girls  were  suf 
fering  from  exposure,  and  took  great  pains  to 
make  their  quarters  as  comfortable  as  possible. 

During  their  long  tramp  through  the  brush, 
the  light  working  dresses  that  the  girls  had  on 
at  the  time  that  they  were  captured  had  become 
badly  torn,  and  the  squaws  brought  Rachel  a 
red  and  white  calico  dress  with  ruffles  around 
the  bottom,  and  Sylvia,  a  blue  calico.  The  In 
dians  requested  the  girls  to  throw  away  their 
shoes  and  put  on  moccasins,  against  which  the 
latter  strongly  protested  and  refused  to  take  off 
their  shoes.  No  violence  to  take  away  their 
shoes  was  used,  and  the  girls  continued  to  wear 
them.  An  Indian  threw  away  Rachel's  comb 
and  she  immediately  went  after  it  and  kept  it 
so  that  it  could  not  be  snatched  away  again 
without  using  force,  to  which  the  Indians  did 
not  resort. 

As  night  set  in  the  Indians  retired  and  each 


THE  CAPTIVE  GIRLS.  63 

of  the  girls  had  to  sleep  between  two  squaws, 
which  they  were  compelled  to  do  thereafter  up 
to  the  time  that  they  were  turned  over  to  the 
Winnebagoes. 

Day  after  day  the  Indians  changed  the  loca 
tion  of  their  camp,  probably  to  evade  the  whites 
if  they  should  pursue  them.  From  Cold  Spring 
by  circuitous  routes,  through  the  beautiful  lake 
country  around  Oconomowoc,  they  moved 
northward  until  they  reached  the  rolling  hills 
near  Horicon  Lake  where  they  pitched  their 
camp  not  far  from  the  rapids,  and  southeast  of 
the  Indian  village  of  Big  Fox.24 

The  girls  had  now  traveled  about  150  miles 
north  from  their  home.  It  was  the  eighth  day 
of  their  captivity,  and  to  them  the  time  was  so 
long  that  every  minute  seemed  almost  a  day; 
and  since  they  last  sat  at  dinner  in  the  little 
cottage  of  William  Davis  at  Indian  Creek,  al 
though  very  vivid  in  their  minds,  seemed  an 
age.  Also,  the  unknown  places  at  which  they 
had  camped  being  in  such  various  directions 
from  each  other,  the  girls  had  no  idea  how  far 
they  had  gone  from  Black  Hawk's  Grove 

24V.  Wis.  Hist.  Col.,  260;  Black  Hawk's  Autobiogra 
phy,  106,  110,  160;  "Waubun,"  320;  Hist,  of  Dodge 
Co.,  by  Hubbell,  67. 


64  THE  CAPTIVE  GIRLS. 

(Janesville).  Everywhere  they  traveled  Indian 
camps  were  numerous,  because  as  soon  as  spring 
had  opened  the  Indians  divided  into  small 
camps  to  make  maple  sugar.  Were  the  girls  to 
jut  an  estimate  upon  the  number  of  Indians  in 
that  unknown  region,  it  certainly  would  have 
reached  high  up  into  the  thousands. 

At  every  camp  the  dance  around  the  pole 
with  all  its  hideous  surroundings,  accompanied 
by  the  Indian  yells  and  war-whoops,  the  rattling 
of  gourds,  and  waving  of  weapons,  was  re 
peated. 

Among  the  tribes  east  of  the  Mississippi  River 
it  was  an  honor  principle  that  their  female  cap 
tives  should  not  be  tortured  nor  their  chastity 
violated;  but  if  white  men  were  taken  captives 
they  were  reduced  to  slavery  and  obliged  to 
wait  upon  the  white  women  after  they  had  been 
adopted  by  the  Indians.25  Notwithstanding  this 
unwritten  law,  these  dances  with  the  scalps  on 
the  spears  harrassed  the  girls  and  caused  them 
to  sob  and  weep  bitterly. 

One  morning  after  many  repetitions  of  the 
dance  around  the  pole,  the  program  was  varied 
by  a  party  of  warriors  coming  to  the  lodge 
where  the  girls  were  in  the  custody  of  the 

»51,  "HandfoopK  of  American  Indians,"  203, 


THE  CAPTIVE  GIRLS.  65 

squaws,  placing  in  their  hands  small  red  flags, 
and  then  the  Indians  with  their  captives 
marched  around  the  encampment,  stopping  at 
each  wigwam  and  waving  their  flags  at  the 
doors,  accompanied  by  some  recitation  of  a 
chief  and  the  rattling  of  gourds,  all  of  which 
was  not  understood  by  the  girls  and  they  were 
unable  to  comprehend  the  significance  of  what 
they  were  doing.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  per 
formance  was  a  religious  ceremony  in  which 
the  gourds  took  the  place  of  bells  used  by  sev 
eral  Christian  denominations  during  their  re 
ligious  ceremonies. 


^.  HENRY  PODGE, 


CHAPTER  X. 

RANSOMED. 

On  the  morning  of  the  ninth  day  of  their  cap 
tivity,  some  warriors  took  Sylvia  off  about  forty 
rods  to  where  a  number  of  chiefs  seemed  to  be 
holding  a  council.  One  of  the  Indians  told 
Sylvia  that  she  must  go  with  an  old  chief  who 
was  pointed  out  to  her,  namely,  White  Crow, 
a  chief  of  the  Winnebagoes,  who  was  about 
fifty  years  of  age,  tall,  slim,  with  a  hawk  nose, 
and  as  much  of  sinister  look  as  a  man  who  had 
only  one  eye  could  have,  for  one  of  his  eyes 
had  been  put  out  in  a  brawl.  He  was  addicted 
to  drink,  gambling,  fighting,  and  other  disrep 
utable  practices.26  Under  any  circumstances 
Sylvia  might  have  protested  against  going  with 
him;  but  when  he  informed  her  that  Rachel 
must  stay  behind,  Sylvia  declared  that  she 
would  not  go  without  her  sister.  White  Crow, 
who  was  a  fine  and  fluent  orator,  and  spokesman 
of  his  band  on  all  occasions,  made  a  long,  loud 
speech  in  which  he  exhibited  considerable  ex 
citement,  but  was  listened  to  with  great  interest 
by  the  other  warriors.  After  he  had  finished, 
Chief  Whirling  Thunder  arose,  walked  over  to 

28X.  Wis.  Hist.  Col.,  253. 
[66] 


RANSOMED.  67 

where  Rachel  was  and  brought  her  to  where  the 
council  was  being  held.  The  situation  was  pain 
fully  interesting  to  the  girls,  because  they  had 
some  intimation  that  it  was  all  about  their  fate. 
After  some  conversation  among  the  chiefs 
they  shook  hands  and  the  captives  were  sur 
rendered  to  White  Crow,  who  must  now  get  the 
girls  to  Blue  Mounds  Fort  to  obtain  the  $2,000 
reward.  The  Port  was  about  eighty  miles  to 
the  southwest  in  a  bee  line.  By  the  nearest  trail 
through  the  Madison  lake  region,  it  was  about 
ninety-three  miles ;  and  by  way  of  Portage  and 
thence  on  the  Military  Road  to  the  Blue  Mounds 
Fort,  it  was  about  one  hundred  and  seven  miles. 
The  Sacs  and  Foxes  were  along  the  former 
route,  which  meant  great  danger,  and  the  Mili 
tary  Road  was  the  best  in  that  country.  There 
fore,  White  Crow  chose  the  latter  route.  The 
horses  were  brought,  riding  switches  were  cut 
and  White  Crow  and  Whirling  Thunder  with 
their  captives  seemed  ready  to  go.  The  squaws 
with  whom  the  girls  had  been  staying  were  very 
much  grieved  at  parting  with  them,  tears  roll 
ing  down  their  cheeks,  and  the  girls  who  now 
reciprocated  the  affection  of  the  squaws,  pre 
ferred  to  stay  with  them  rather  than  to  go  with 


68  RANSOMED. 

the  warriors;  but  the  chief's  stern  orders  had  to 
be  obeyed. 

At  this  trying  moment  of  the  girls,  a  young 
warrior  suddenly  stepped  up  to  Rachel  and  with 
a  large  knife  cut  a  lock  of  hair  from  over  her 
right  ear  and  another  from  the  back  of  her 
head.  At  the  same  time  he  muttered  to  White 
Crow,  in  the  Indian  language,  something  which 
the  girls  afterwards  learned,  was  that  he  would 
have  Rachel  back  in  three  or  four  days.  His 
example  was  followed  by  another  Indian  who 
stepped  up  to  Sylvia  and  without  leave  or  a 
word  of  explanation,  cut  a  lock  of  hair  from 
the  front  of  her  head  and  placed  it  in  his  hunt 
ing-pouch.  Sometime  afterward  a  number  of 
Indians  made  an  attack  on  Kellogg 's  Grove 
colony  (near  Dodgeville,  Wis.)  and  one  of  them 
who  was  shot  by  a  miner  named  Casey  had 
around  his  neck  a  lock  of  braided  hair  which 
was  subsequently  identified  as  that  taken  from 
the  head  of  Rachel  Hall. 

It  might  not  be  amiss,  here,  to  state  that 
among  some  of  the  Indian  tribes  the  cutting  of 
the  hair  had  a  mystical  meaning  closely  allied 
to  the  life  of  a  person,  and  was  usually  attended 
with  religious  rites.  The  first  clipping  of  a 
child's  hair  was  retained  for  religious  purposes. 


70  RANSOMED. 

A  scalp  had  a  double  meaning:  it  indicated  an 
act  of  supernatural  power  that  had  decreed  the 
death  of  the  man,  and  it  served  as  tangible 
proof  of  the  warrior's  prowess  over  his 
enemies.27 

While  the  Indians  were  taking  locks  of  hair 
from  the  girls,  White  Crow,  Whirling  Thunder, 
and  a  few  more  Indians,  had  mounted  their 
horses,  and  with  their  captives  on  ponies,  all 
rode  off  at  a  gallop,  keeping  up  a  rapid  speed 
during  the  rest  of  the  day  and  far  into  the 
night,  the  Indians  looking  back  frequently. 

No  doubt  White  Crow  feared  that  the  Sacs 
might  regret  that  they  let  the  girls  go,  and 
would  try  to  recapture  them.  It  was  about 
forty-seven  miles  to  Portage,  and  until  that 
place  was  reached  the  danger  was  great.  The 
girls  appreciated  the  danger;  otherwise,  they 
would  have  dropped  off  their  ponies  from  sheer 
exhaustion.  A  ride  of  forty-seven  miles  on 
wabbly  ponies ! 

Finally,  they  arrived  on  the  bank  of  the  Wis 
consin  River  near  the  mouth  of  Duck  Creek 
(just  below  Portage,  Wis.)  where  was  located 
a  village  of  Chief  Dekorah.28 

Ml,  "Handbook  of  Am.  Indians,"  524. 
MXIII.   Wis.   Hist.    Co.,    448;    III.    ib.    286;    Waubun, 
Kinzie,  103. 


71 


At  this  place  the  Indians  prepared  a  bed 
upon  a  low  scaffold,  which  was  furnished  with 
abundant  blankets  and  furs,  where  the  girls  lay 
until  daylight.  The  sun  had  not  yet  arisen 
when  a  party  of  Sac  warriors,  some  of  whom 
were  dressed  in  the  clothing  of  white  men,  came 
into  camp.  They  wanted  to  talk  to  the  girls, 
but  Whirling  Thunder  told  the  girls  not  to 
listen  to  them  and  to  keep  away  from  them. 
Then  a  long  conversation  of  loud  angry  words 
was  kept  up  between  the  Indians  for  some  time, 
when  the  Sacs  mounted  their  horses  and  rode 
away. 

It  was  ascertained  later  that  one  of  the  In 
dians  who  helped  to  capture  the  girls  at  Indian 
Creek  was  on  a  hunting  trip  when  the  captives 
were  turned  over  to  the  Winnebagoes  and  on  his 
return  finding  the  prisoners  gone  and  not  hav 
ing  received  his  portion  of  the  ransom,  he 
started  off  with  a  number  of  warriors  with  the 
determination  to  recapture  the  girls  or  kill 
them.  No  doubt  that  if  the  Sacs  had  overtaken 
the  Winnebagoes  with  their  captives  before  they 
had  reached  the  Winnebago  camp,  they  would 
have  fought  for  the  girls,  which  would  either 
have  ended  in  the  death  of  the  girls  or  their 
being  again  carried  off  into  captivity.  Such 


72  RANSOMED. 

was  the  Indian  custom.29  What  an  almost 
miraculous  escape  the  girls  had ! 

Immediately  after  the  Sacs  left,  a  hastened 
breakfast  was  prepared.  No  doubt  White  Crow 
feared  an  attack  if  he  should  keep  the  girls  at 
that  place  or  if  he  should  continue  his  journey 
along  the  Military  Road.  Whatever  caused  him 
to  change  his  course,  he  arranged  to  take  the 
girls  down  the  Wisconsin  River50  and  to  send 
the  horses  around  over  the  hills,  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river,  to  the  next  camping  place. 

Breakfast  was  eaten  as  hastily  as  it  had  been 
prepared  and  then  the  girls  were  placed  in 
canoes  and  with  a  convoy  of  about  one  hun 
dred  Indians,  were  paddled  off.  At  first  the  girls 
feared  that  their  little  barks  would  tip,  but 
soon  they  found  their  canoes  were  in  expert 
and  safe  hands  and  that  the  new  manner  of 
travel  was  far  superior  to  horse-back  riding. 
It  was  restful  and  gave  them  a  fine  opportunity 
for  observation,  which  under  favorable  circum 
stances  would  drive  an  artist  into  ecstacy.  The 
majestic  bluffs  with  wooded  slopes  and  craggy 
crests,  lined  the  river  for  many  miles,  stretch 
ing  off  to  the  west  around  Devil's  Lake.  It  was 

"2,  Handbook  of  American  Indians,  203. 
30Memories  of  Shaubena,  160. 


RANSOMED.  73 

ideal  scenery  and  connected  with  many  a 
romantic  Indian  tale. 

The  spring  freshets  from  the  melting  snows 
and  heavy  rains,  had  swollen  the  river  so  that 
it  spread  considerably  over  its  banks,  reaching 
in  places  from  the  foot  of  one  bluff  to  the  foot 
of  another.  Down  this  murky  water  the  In 
dians  paddled  their  canoes,  hour  after  hour, 
over  a  distance  of  about  thirty  miles,  and 
landed  on  the  west  bank,  where  they  camped 
for  the  night. 

In  speaking  of  this  canoe  ride  the  girls  say: 
"The  name  of  the  river  we  never  knew,  neither 
can  we  tell  whether  we  traveled  up  or  down 
the  stream."  The  name  of  the  river  was  learned 
from  Shabona.  It  is  not  strange  that  the  girls 
could  not  tell  which  way  the  river  flowed.  The 
writer  has  often  been  on  that  river  during 
freshets,  and  the  way  the  water  flows  back  and 
forth,  dotted  with  eddies,  would  easily  confuse 
a  stranger. 

Early  the  next  morning  White  Crow  went 
around  to  the  wigwams  with  a  gourd  in  each 
hand,  and  stopping  at  the  door  of  each  wigwam 
he  would  shake  the  gourds  violently  and  talk  as 
if  he  were  lecturing. 

Having  finished  this  religious  service,  he  left 


74  RANSOMED. 

the  camp  and  did  not  return  again  until  sun 
down.  Probably,  he  crossed  the  river  and  went 
to  his  own  village  at  the  west  end  of  Mendota 
Lake  to  get  information  concerning  the  ransom 
offered  for  the  captives.  He  was  a  sly  chief, 
and  if  he  did  not  have  considerable  confidence 
in  the  success  of  his  undertaking,  instead  of 
taking  the  girls  across  to  Blue  Mounds  he  might 
have  them  run  further  down  the  river  and  there 
hold  them  longer  in  captivity. 

The  thirty-first  day  of  May  had  arrived  and 
for  the  second  night  the  Indians  camped  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Wisconsin  River.  Before  retir 
ing,  White  Crow  for  the  first  time  spoke  to  the 
girls  in  the  English  language.  He  inquired 
whether  their  father,  mother,  or  any  sister  or 
brother,  was  alive,  to  which  the  girls  replied 
that  all  had  been  killed  on  the  day  of  their  cap 
tivity.  White  Crow  appeared  sad,  shook  his 
head,  and  after  hesitating  a  moment,  said  he 
would  take  the  girls  home  in  the  morning.  He 
asked  the  girls  if  they  thought  the  whites  would 
hang  him  if  he  took  them  to  the  fort,  to  which 
they  replied  that  on  the  contrary  the  people  at 
the  fort  would  give  him  money  and  presents  for 
his  trouble. 

The  conversation  with  White  Crow  roused  the 


II 


S3 


76  RANSOMED. 

hopes 'of  the  girls  considerably,  but  a  lingering 
doubt  as  to  the  truth  of  his  words  kept  revolv 
ing  in  their  minds  throughout  the  night. 

The  next  morning  the  chiefs  accompanied 
by  about  forty  warriors  put  the  girls  in  canoes 
and  swam  their  horses  across  the  river  alongside 
of  the  canoes,  landing  above  the  mouth  of  Black 
Earth  Creek.  The  horses  were  mounted  in 
haste,  but  as  most  of  the  warriors  had  to  travel 
on  foot  and  were  impeded  by  marshes  and 
underbrush  on  the  flat  bottom,  the  progress  was 
slow.  The  girls  watched  the  sun  with  eagerness 
in  their  endeavor  to  tell  which  way  they  were 
traveling  and  were  assured  thereby  that  they 
were  again  going  southward,  although  only  in 
a  circuitous  course.  Hour  after  hour  passed 
away,  the  girls  all  the  while  expecting  to  catch 
sight  of  the  fort.  Finally,  as  the  sun  was  sink 
ing  off  over  the  Wisconsin  River,  the  Indians 
once  more  camped  for  the  night  on  the  bank  of 
a  creek. 

There  were  two  or  three  Indian  families 
camped  at  this  place,  and  on  seeing  the  girls 
they  expressed  great  joy.  In  a  short  time  the 
squaws  had  prepared  a  supper  consisting  of 
pickled  pork,  potatoes,  coffee  and  bread  for  the 
girls.  White  Crow  and  Whirling  Thunder,  the 


RANSOMED.  77 

rest  of  the  Indians  dining  apart  from  them. 
The  meal  was  the  best  cooked  and  the  spread 
the  cleanest  that  had  been  placed  before  the 
girls,  and  it  tempted  their  appetite  so  that  they 
made  a  very  fair  meal,  after  which  they  felt 
sleepy  and  were  glad  when  they  could  lie  down 
to  rest.  In  a  short  time  most  of  the  Indians  had 
retired,  excepting  White  Crow,  who  seated  him 
self  close  to  the  girls,  where  he  smoked  a  pipe 
all  night.  This  was  the  first  time  that  a  war 
rior  had  kept  guard  over  them,  and  the  infer 
ence  of  the  girls  was  that  the  old  chief  feared 
an  attack  of  the  Sacs  who  had  visited  their 
camp  at  Portage.  The  girls  thought  that  per 
haps  the  Indian  chief  who  had  been  rebuffed  at 
that  place  might  have  gone  after  recruits,  and 
that  at  any  moment  the  Indians  might  swoop 
down  upon  them.  Now,  when  they  were  almost 
within  grasp  of  their  freedom,  it  racked  the 
minds  of  the  girls  to  think  that  there  was  a 
possibility  of  being  slaughtered  or  again  carried 
into  captivity.  In  this  condition  of  mind  the 
girls  passed  the  night. 

The  camp  was  astir  at  sunrise  and  for  the 
last  time  White  Crow  went  around  performing 
his  religious  service  by  rattling  his  gourds  and 
addressing  the  Indians,  After  breakfast  the 


78  RANSOMED. 

girls  were  again  mounted  on  their  ponies  and 
all  moved  forward  over  higher  ground,  and  be 
fore  ten  o'clock  they  had  reached  the  Military 
Road  from  Fort  Winnebago,  by  way  of  Blue 
Mounds,  to  Prairie  du  Chien.  The  sight  of  the 
wagon  tracks  was  the  first  sign  of  civilization 
that  the  girls  had  observed  since  their  captivity 
and  increased  their  confidence  in  the  probability 
of  their  early  release.  Also,  the  road  was  much 
better  than  any  they  had  traveled  since  their 
capture.  It  led  through  groves  and  oak  open 
ings,  along  the  high  ridge  that  is  unbroken  to 
the  Mississippi  River.  Inspirations  of  hope  were 
necessary  to  revive  the  girls'  spirits  and  enable 
them  to  complete  the  remainder  of  their  long 
journey,  as  they  were  exhausted  to  the  verge  of 
collapse.  Hope  is  a  great  stimulant,  and  it  was 
on  this  that  the  girls  were  now  subsisting. 

"Auspicious  Hope!  in  thy  sweet  garden  grow 
Wreaths  for  each  toil,  a  charm  for  every  woe." 

About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  In 
dians  halted  for  lunch  and  to  let  their  horses 
feed.  The  principal  food  was  duck  eggs,  nearly 
hatched,  that  the  Indians  ate  with  relish,  but 
which  the  girls  rejected  with  disgust.  After 
lunch  they  had  not  traveled  far  until  they 


RANSOMED.  79 

caught  sight  of  Blue  Mounds  Fort  in  the  dis 
tance.  White  Crow  took  a  white  handkerchief 
that  Rachel  had  tied  on  her  head,  which  he 
fastened  on  a  pole  for  a  flag  of  truce,  and  rode 
in  advance  of  the  Indians  and  their  captives.  In 
a  short  time  Lieutenant  Edward  Beouchard, 
who  was  commander  at  the  fort,  met  them  and 
addressed  the  Indians  in  their  own  language. 
The  warriors  now  formed  a  circle  into  which 
Beouchard  rode  and  he  and  the  Indians  talked 
at  considerable  length.  According  to  Beouch 
ard 's  subsequent  statement  the  Indians  were 
unwilling  to  give  up  the  girls  until  they  were 
assured  by  Col.  Gratiot  that  the  $2,000  reward 
would  be  paid.  Beouchard  having  assured  the 
girls  that  they  would  be  well  treated  by  the 
Indians  until  his  return,  went  back  to  the  fort 
and  soon  returned  with  Col.  Henry  Gratiot,  the 
Indian  agent,  and  a  company  of  soldiers  in 
which  Edward  and  Reason  Hall,  uncles  of  the 
captives,  were  serving  as  privates. 

Col.  Gratiot  assured  the  Indians  that  the  re 
ward  for  the  rescue  of  the  girls  would  be  paid. 
Also,  he  invited  the  Indians  to  be  his  guests  at 
the  fort,  and  that  he  would  prepare  a  big  feast 
for  them.  The  Indians  being  very  hungry  the 
feast  appealed  very  strongly  to  them.  Finally, 


80  RANSOMED. 

the  chiefs  agreed  to  place  the  girls  in  the  cus 
tody  of  Col.  Gratiot  until  the  reward  would  be 
paid,  the  Indians  retaining  the  right  to  the  re 
turn  of  the  captives  if  the  government  failed  to 
pay. 

The  calico  dresses  which  the  girls  had  re 
ceived  from  the  Indians,  had  become  torn  by 
riding  through  brake,  briars  and  brush,  and 
with  their  soiled  faces  and  disheveled  hair,  made 
them  objects  of  pity.31  In  a  sense,  the  girls 
bearing  their  crosses,  had  followed  their  Master 
up  Calvary  to  its  summit,  where  He  granted 
their  prayer  by  setting  them  free. 

313,  Smith's  Hist,  of  Wis.,  214,  225. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

ROYALLY    WELCOMED. 

Following  close  behind  the  soldiers  that  went 
out  with  Col.  Gratiot  to  meet  the  Indians  with 
the  girls,  were  the  ladies  of  the  Fort,  including 
the  wives  of  the  commanding  officers,  and  al 
though  the  Indians  had  delivered  the  girls  into 
the  custody  of  Col.  Gratiot,  the  ladies  imme 
diately  took  charge  of  them,  and  after  kissing 
and  hugging  them  affectionately,  conducted 
them  to  the  Fort,  where  the  girls  were  fur 
nished  with  new  clothes  and  the  best  meal  that 
the  place  could  produce.  After  dining  the  girls 
became  sleepy  and  retired  to  rest,  feeling  per 
fectly  secure. 

"Sleep!  to  the  homeless  thou  are  home; 
The  friendless  find  in  thee  a  friend; 
And  well  is,  wheresoe'er  he  roam, 
Who  meets  thee  at  his  journey's  end." 

A  messenger  who  had  been  dispatched  for 
Col.  Dodge,  met  him  on  his  way  to  the  Mounds 
in  company  with  Capt.  Bion  Gratiot,  a  brother 
of  Col.  Henry  Gratiot.  On  his  arrival  Col. 
Dodge  immediately  assumed  general  command 
of  the  place.  He  invited  the  Indian  chiefs, 
White  Crow,  Whirling  Thunder  and  Spotted 

[81] 


82  ROYALLY  WELCOMED. 

Arm,  into  the  Fort,  and  fed  them  sumptuously. 
Ebenezer  Brigham  who  lived  at  the  east  end  of 
the  Mounds  contributed  a  big  fat  steer  for  the 
feast.  After  the  feast,  lodgings  for  the  Indians 
were  prepared,  beds  for  the  chiefs  having  been 
provided  in  one  of  the  cottages.  Having  every 
thing  comfortably  arranged,  the  Colonel  retired 
and  was  soon  fast  asleep. 

About  an  hour  after  Col.  Dodge  had  gone  to 
bed,  Capt.  Gratiot  came  rushing  to  his  cabin  in 
an  excited  manner,  calling  to  him  to  rouse  up 
and  prepare  for  action  immediately.  He  in 
formed  the  Colonel  that  the  Indian  chiefs  whom 
the  Colonel  had  placed  in  the  cottage,  had  gone 
out  to  some  brush  near  by  and  apparently  were 
inciting  the  Indians  to  make  an  attack  upon  the 
Fort.  White  Crow  had  come  to  the  Captain  and 
after  telling  him  that  the  whites  were  a  soft- 
shelled  breed  and  no  good  to  fight  (referring  to 
Stillman's  defeat),  he  closed  by  advising  the 
Captain  to  tell  his  brother,  Col.  Gratiot,  the  In 
dians'  friend,  to  go  home  and  not  stay  at  the 
fort.  Also,  Capt.  Gratiot  had  observed  the  men 
whetting  their  knives,  tomahawks  and  spears, 
and  it  was  learned  that  two  of  the  warriors  had 
been  sent  to  the  Winnebago  camp  early  in  the 


ROYALLY  WELCOMED.  83 

evening,  probably  to   obtain   more  Indians  to 
attack  the  Fort. 

Col.  Dodge,  after  listening  attentively  to  the 
story  of  Capt.  Gratiot,  replied:  "Do  not  be 
alarmed,  sir;  I  will  see  that  no  harm  befalls 
you. ' ' 

Col.    Dodge   then    called    the    officer  of   the 

guard  and  an  interpreter  and  with  six  other 

men  went  out  to  where  the  Indians  were  and 

took  into  custody  White  Crow  and  five  of  the 

other  principal  chiefs,  and  marched  them  into 

a  cabin  inside  the  palisade  to  secure  obedience 

to    his    command.      Then    after    directing    the 

proper  officer  to  place  a  strong  guard  around 

the  cabin   and   double   the   guard   around   the 

whole  encampment,  the  Colonel  lay  down  with 

the  Indians.    To  carry  out  the  Colonel's  orders 

took  all  the  men  at  the  Port,  so  that  virtually 

the  whole  force   was  under   arms  during  the 

night.32     Once   more   the   girls'  lives   were   in 

jeopardy. 

The  night  passed  without  another  incident 

and  when  the  sun  arose  over  the  great  plains  to 

the  east,  the  girls  were  up  and  relished  a  good 

breakfast  with  their  friends  that  awaited  them. 

3tX.  Wis.  Hist.  Col.,  186. 


84  ROYALLY  WELCOMED. 

Col.  Dodge  was  out  before  the  girls  and  he  told 
the  Indians  that  they  must  all  go  to  Morrison's 
Grove,  a  place  where  the  road  to  Galena 
branches  off  the  Military  Road  to  Prairie  du 
Chien,  about  fifteen  miles  west  of  Blue  Mounds. 
The  Indians — AVhite  Crow  particularly — pro 
tested  against  going,  stating  that  their  feet 
were  sore  from  their  long  march  in  bringing  the 
Hall  girls  to  the  Mounds,  and  that  they  had 
shown  such  great  magnanimity  in  risking  their 
lives  to  ransom  the  prisoners  that  they  should 
receive  their  reward  and  be  allowed  to  return 
home.  Col.  Dodge  frankly  told  them  that  he 
believed  that  they  were  in  sympathy  with  Black 
Hawk  and  that  he  should  be  obliged  to  treat 
them  as  suspects.  In  vain  did  White  Crow  use 
his  eloquence  in  protesting  his  friendship  for 
the  whites,  and  after  all  was  in  readiness  the 
Indians  and  soldiers  accompanied  by  the  Hall 
girls  started  on  their  march  to  Morrison's 
Grove,  where  they  arrived  before  noon.  Here 
George  Medary  kept  a  hotel  in  a  large  house 
built  by  the  Morrison  brothers  of  hewn  logs,  ad 
joining  a  cultivated  field,  one  of  the  first  in  the 
state.33 

The  ladies  looked  after  the  comfort  of  the 
83XIII.  Wis.  Hist.  Col,  341;  "WaubuD,"  111. 


ROYALLY  WELCOMED.  85 

girls,  whom  they  welcomed  with  much  exhibi 
tion  of  joy  and  affection,  and  Col.  Dodge,  after 
having  the  Indians  well  fed,  ordered  the  chiefs 
to  line  them  up  until  he  could  talk  to  them. 

First  Col.  Dodge  explained  the  alarming  sit 
uation  surrounding  the  white  settlers,  and  the 
information  that  he  had  that  the  Winnebagoes 
were  hesitating  to  join  Black  Hawk,  and  warned 
them  of  their  destruction  if  they  should  take 
part  in  the  war  against  the  whites.  Next  Col. 
Gratiot  spoke  to  the  Indians  in  their  own 
tongue,  in  a  kindly  manner,  and  after  he  had 
finished  White  Crow  made  the  following  speech : 
"  Fathers,  when  you  sent  a  request  to  me  to  go 
and  to  ransom  those  two  white  women,  we 
called  on  all  of  our  people  who  were  around  us 
and  they  gave  all  of  their  wampum,  trinkets 
and  corn,  and  we  the  chiefs  gave  ten  horses. 
The  Little  Priest,  I,  and  two  others,  went  to  the 
Sauks  to  buy  the  prisoners.  We  soon  succeeded 
in  buying  one,  but  for  a  time  could  not  succeed 
in  buying  the  other.  After  we  had  bought  one, 
we  demanded  the  other.  They  said,  'No,  we 
will  not  give  her  up.  We  have  lost  too  much 
blood.  We  will  keep  her.' 

"We  told  them:  'If  you  don't  give  her  up, 
we  will  raise  the  tomahawk  and  take  her.'  I 


86  ROYALLY  WELCOMED. 

had  a  horse  which  you,  father  (Gratiot),  gave 
me.  It  was  the  last  horse  that  I  had.  I  told 
them  that  I  would  give  them  that  horse  to  ob 
tain  the  prisoner.  At  sundown  they  gave  me 
the  girls  and  I  gave  them  the  horse.  The  Little 
Priest  took  one  of  the  girls  and  I  took  the  other 
and  put  them  on  horses.  A  Sauk  came,  as  we 
were  about  to  start,  and  attempted  to  cut  off  the 
hair  of  one  of  the  girls.  I  caught  his  hand  and 
prevented  him,  but  allowed  him  afterwards  to 
cut  a  small  lock.  These  white  sisters  were  very 
much  affected  and  my  young  daughter  cried  to 
see  these  white  sisters  so  distressed.  Our  women 
bought  clothes  from  the  Sauks  and  gave  them. 
These  sisters  will  tell  you  that  we  made  them 
sleep  together,  and  the  daughter  of  the  Little 
Priest  slept  on  one  side  of  them  and  my  daugh 
ter  on  the  other  side.  We  were  mortified  that 
we  could  not  use  them  better.  Our  blankets 
are  worn  out  and  we  could  do  no  better.  I 
tried  to  please  and  comfort  them,  but  they  were 
not  accustomed  to  our  mode  of  living  and  could 
not  eat. 

"Here  are  our  two  sisters,  we  bring  them  here 
to  take  their  hands  and  give  them  into  your 
hands.  We  have  saved  their  lives,  for  the 
Sauks  intended  to  kill  them. 


ROYALLY  WELCOMED.  87 

"And  now,  fathers,  all  that  we  have  to  ask 
of  you  is  that  you  will  not  put  us  or  our  chil 
dren  in  the  same  situation  that  these  white 
sisters  were.  We  have  brought  them  to  you  to 
prove  to  you  that  we  are  the  friends  of  the 
Americans."34 

After  listening  to  White  Crow,  Col.  Dodge 
informed  him  that  he  would  hold  as  hostages 
for  the  good  conduct  of  the  Winnebago  Indians, 
their  chiefs  Spotted  Arm,  Whirling  Thunder 
and  Little  Priest,  to  which  the  wiley  chief  made 
little  objection,  as  he  was  trying  to  obtain  as 
much  goods  as  possible  in  final  settlement  of  the 
reward,  which  was  paid  mostly  in  trinkets, 
blankets  and  horses. 

Having  been  well  fed  and  supplied  with 
shawls  and  blankets  of  brilliant  colors,  child 
like,  the  Indians  were  now  anxious  to  go  home. 

White  Crow,  with  a  showing  of  much  regret, 
bade  good-bye  to  Sylvia  and  Rachel  Hall.  He 
went  over  the  incidents  of  their  rescue,  and,  to 
prove  his  friendship  for  the  girls,  offered  to 
give  each  of  them  a  Sac  squaw  as  a  servant  for 
life.  The  girls  thanked  him,  but  said  that  they 
did  not  want  any  human  being  to  be  taken  away 
from  her  people  as  they  had  been  from  theirs. 

"Report  of  Col.  Gratiot  in  U.  S.  files. 


88  ROYALLY  WELCOMED. 

The  girls  then  bade  adieu  to  all  the  Indians, 
towards  whom  their  hearts  had  changed,  and 
for  whom  they  now  felt  considerable  friendship. 
The  eloquence  of  White  Crow  made  an  impres 
sion  on  the  young  women,  as  he  spoke  in  a  sym 
pathetic  tone  unexpected  kind  words  that 
touched  their  hearts. 

After  resting  at  Morrison's  during  the  after 
noon  and  night,  early  the  next  morning  the  sol 
diers  with  their  Indian  hostages  and  the  girls, 
proceeded  along  the  Galena  road  to  Fort  De 
fiance,  which  was  located  five  miles  southeast 
of  Mineral  Point.  Here  again  the  girls  were 
well  cared  for  by  the  wives  of  the  officers,  and 
the  most  sumptuous  meal  that  could  be  pre 
pared  was  set  before  them,  and  their  short  stay 
made  as  pleasant  as  possible.35 

After  dinner,  with  the  convoy  of  soldiers  and 
the  Indian  hostages,  the  girls  again  moved  on 
to  Gratiot's  Grove,  about  a  mile  south  of  Shulls- 
burg,  and  fourteen  miles  northeast  of  Galena. 
At  this  place  there  was  a  village  of  twenty  fam 
ilies,  with  a  hotel  and  a  garrison  of  United 
States  soldiers.36  The  leading  lady  of  the  place 
was  Capt.  Gratiot's  wife,  a  French  woman  of 
excellent  education,  whose  mother  had  been 

8SX.  Wis.  Higt.,  Col.,  340. 


ROYALLY  WELCOMED.  89 

lady-in-waiting  to  Queen  Marie  Antoinette. 
Mrs.  Gratiot,  who  was  noted  for  her  hospitality, 
took  charge  of  the  girls  and  entertained  them 
lavishly  at  her  home." 

Gratiot 's  Grove,  which  became  renowned  as 
the  most  beautiful  spot  in  the  northwest,  is 
described  by  Mrs.  Gratiot  as  follows:  "Never 
in  my  wanderings  had  I  beheld  a  prettier  place ; 
the  beautiful  rolling  hills  extending  to  Blue 
Mounds,  a  distance  of  thirty  miles,  the  magnifi 
cent  grove,  as  yet  untouched  by  the  falling  axe, 
formed  the  graceful  frame  for  the  lovely  land 
scape."38  Theodore  Rudolph,  a  Swiss  traveler 
who  was  at  Gratiot 's  Grove  in  the  spring  of 
1832,  describing  the  place  says:  "The  vast 
prairie,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  was 
clothed  with  a  carpet  of  richest  green,  inter 
spersed  with  gorgeous  wild  flowers,  of  brilliant 
hues  of  red,  blue,  and  yellow,  in  fact  every  color 
of  the  rainbow— reminding  one  of  the  garden 
of  Eden,  as  our  youthful  fancies  never  failed  to 
paint  it  for  us."39 

30X.  Wis.  Hist,  Col.,  256. 
8rX.  Wis.  Hist.  Col.,  186,  246. 
38X.  Wis.  Hist.  Col.,  286. 
89XV.  Wis.  Hist.  Col.,  345. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

HOMEWARD    BOUND. 

"Oh!   sweet  is  the  longed-for  haven  of  rest! 
And  dear  are  the  loved  ones  we  oft  have  caressed! 
And   fair  are   the  home   scenes   that   gladden   the 

view — 

The  far-wooded  hills  stretching  up  to  the  blue, 
The  lake's  limpid  splendor,  the  circling  shore, 
The  fell  and  the  forest,  the  mead  and  the  moor, 
Are  clustered  with  mem'ries  and,  though  we  may 

roam, 

Their  charm  ever  guides  us  and  whispers  of  home!' 

— Anna  C.  Scanlan. 

The  thought  of  returning  to  their  home  filled 
the  girls'  hearts  with  such  joy  as  was  possible 
under  their  circumstances.  When  they  arose  on 
the  morning  of  their  departure  from  Gratiot's 
Grove,  everything  was  inspiring.  Never  before 
had  the  birds  sung  more  sweetly  nor  had  the 
flowers  looked  more  beautiful.  The  whole  vil 
lage  was  astir  early,  and  probably  there  was 
not  one  of  the  inhabitants  who  failed  to  appear 
to  bid  the  girls  good-bye. 

Capt.  Gratiot's  wife  made  the  girls  some  nice 
presents  and  had  so  endeared  herself  to  them 
that  although  they  had  known  her  but  a  very 
short  time,  they  left  her  with  tears,  and  in  tears. 
Finally,  all  being  ready,  with  a  convoy  of  sol 
diers  the  girls  continued  their  journey  to  White 

[901 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  91 

Oak  Springs  (10  miles  northeast  of  Galena), 
near  which  they  formerly  lived  and  where  they 
had  many  friends.  It  was  then  a  mining  village 
of  considerable  size,  but  not  so  charming  as 
Gratiot's  Grove.  There  was  a  fort  with  sol 
diers  at  the  place,  and  all  was  in  readiness  to 
receive  the  girls.  As  some  of  their  relatives 
lived  near  the  place,  going  there  seemed  to  them 
like  going  home. 

One  of  the  first  surprises  that  the  girls  had, 
was  to  meet  their  brother  John  who  they 
thought  had  been  murdered  at  Indian  Creek. 
He  had  been  mustered  into  the  militia  and  was 
stationed  at  Galena,  but  was  granted  indefinite 
absence  to  go  to  meet  his  sisters  and  accompany 
them  home. 

At  White  Oak  Springs  they  received  a,  letter 
from  their  former  pastor,  Rev.  R.  Horn,  who 
had  a  mission  on  the  Illinois  River  where  Robert 
Scott,  an  uncle  of  the  girls,  lived.  The  letter 
was  full  of  kindness  and  invited  the  girls  to 
come  to  the  Horn  residence  and  make  it  their 
home.  From  that  time  on,  all  arrangements 
were  made  to  that  end. 

On  the  night  of  June  sixteenth,  great  excite 
ment  was  caused  by  a  messenger  riding  into 
the  town  and  announcing  that  the  battle  of  the 


92  HOMEWARD  BOUND. 

Peckatonica  (18  miles  northeast)  had  been 
fought,  that  all  the  Indians  that  participated 
in  it  had  been  killed,  and  that  many  of  the 
whites  had  fallen.  The  shocking  particulars, 
which  were  loathing  to  the  girls,  were  told  and 
retold.  They  had  seen  human  blood  spilled  and 
they  knew  what  such  a  sight  meant,  so  it  simply 
renewed  their  horror. 

The  girls  remained  at  White  Oak  Springs  two 
weeks,  during  which  their  lady  friends  made 
considerable  clothing  for  them  so  that  they  had 
a  well-supplied  wardrobe,  considering  the  time 
and  the  border  country.  The  men  were  not 
backward  in  the  good  work  and  presents  of 
goods  were  given  by  the  store-keepers  and  a 
small  purse  raised  to  help  to  smooth  their  way. 

Also,  old  acquaintances  were  renewed  and 
new  friendships  were  formed  from  which  it 
was  hard  to  break  away  when  it  came  time  to 
leave.  From  gruff  old  miners  up  to  the  army 
officer  in  his  shoulder-straps,  the  village  folk 
gathered  around  the  young  ladies  to  wish  them 
God-speed. 

The  girls  shook  hands  with  everybody  and 
thanked  them,  individually  and  collectively,  for 
their  great  kindness.  In  the  last  written  state 
ment  signed  by  Rachel  Hall  Munson  and  Sylvia 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  93 

Hall  Horn,  they  say:  "We  are  very  sorry  we 
cannot  recollect  the  names  of  those  kind  friends, 
that  they  might  appear  upon  record  as  a  tes 
timony  of  their  kindness  to  us  in  our  destitute 
condition.  May  the  blessings  of  our  Father  in 
heaven,  rest  upon  them  all!" 

From  White  Oak  Springs  the  girls  went  on 
to  Galena,  where  they  stopped  with  an  old  ac 
quaintance  named  Bell  and  were  supplied  with 
rations  by  the  United  States'  army  officers  who 
considered  the  girls  their  guests. 

They  had  not  been  there  many  days  before 
the  steamboat  "Winnebago"  called  for  a  load 
of  lead  to  take  to  St.  Louis.  The  girls  with 
their  brother  John  and  their  uncle  Edward 
Hall  took  passage  down  the  Mississippi  to  St. 
Louis  where  they  arrived  June  30,  and  were  re 
ceived  by  Gov.  Clark  who  took  them  to  his 
home  and  entertained  them  as  his  guests.40 

Unfortunately,  at  that  time  the  cholera  was 
in  the  city  and  meetings  of  people,  public  dem 
onstrations,  and  entertainments,  were  restrict 
ed.  While  the  girls  did  not  feel  like  attending 
entertainments  or  going  in  society,  the  people 
of  St.  Louis  were  anxious  to  entertain  them. 

40Letter  of  Governor  Clark  to  Secretary  of  War, 
June  30,  1832;  "Life  of  A.  S.  Johnston,"  Johnston,  23. 


94  HOMEWARD  BOUND. 

A  purse  of  $470.00  was  collected,  and,  at  the 
request  of  the  girls,  was  put  into  the  hands  of 
Mr.  Horn  for  investment.  Other  small  sums  of 
money  were  given  to  the  girls  to  pay  their  in 
cidental  expenses,  and  articles  for  their  com 
fort  were  presented  to  them. 

The  girls  were  anxious  to  go  home,  and  in 
company  with  their  brother  John  and  Uncle 
Edward  they  boarded  the  steamer  ''Carolina" 
for  Beardstown,  111.,  from  where  they  were 
taken  to  the  home  of  their  uncle  Robert  Scott, 
close  to  Mr.  Horn's.  Here  they  remained  until 
Fall,  when  they  went  to  the  home  of  their 
brother  John  who  had  recently  married  and 
settled  on  a  homestead  in  Bureau  County,  about 
twenty  miles  west  of  the  Davis  Settlement. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

ROMANCE    AND    HISTORY. 

At  a  little  country  store  down  in  Indiana 
where  the  settlers  usually  gathered  to  read  the 
weekly  newspaper,  William  Munson,  a  young 
man  who  was  born  in  New  York,  first  heard  of 
the  Hall  girls  and  their  wonderful  adventure. 
He  was  in  the  west  seeking  his  fortune,  and, 
being  an  admirer  of  the  brave  and  full  of  youth 
ful  fire,  he  remarked  to  the  people  that  he 
would  some  day  marry  one  of  those  girls.  His 
nearest  friends  did  not  take  him  seriously,  and 
the  matter  as  a  passing  joke  was  soon  forgot 
ten.  However,  with  him  it  became  a  fixed  idea, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1833  he  went  to  Illinois  and 
took  up  a  land  claim  in  the  neighborhood  where 
John  W.  Hall  lived. 

Every  good  woman  is  not  satisfied  until  she 
has  a  home  of  her  own.  This  natural  longing 
was  particularly  strong  in  the  minds  of  the 
Hall  girls,  whose  home  had  been  destroyed. 

There  is  no  record  of  how  William  Munson 
first  met  Rachel  Hall,  but  our  information  shows 
that  their  courtship  was  short;  for  in  March, 
1833,  they  were  united  in  marriage,  and  shortly 
afterwards  they  settled  down  on  the  land  claim 
entered  by  her  father,  about  a  mile  and  a  half 

[95] 


96  ROMANCE  AND  HISTORY. 


WILLIAM    MUNSON. 

east  of  the  scene  of  the  massacre.  They  were 
thrifty  and  got  along  splendidly,  becoming  one 
of  the  foremost  families  of  La  Salle  County. 
Besides  the  rich  abundance  of  worldly  goods, 
they  were  blessed  with  a  large  family  of  whom 
four  died  in  their  infancy.  As  there  was  no 
cemetery,  the  little  ones  wrere  buried  in  the 
garden.  Of  the  other  children  who  grew  up  to 
manhood  and  womanhood,  several  became  very 
prominent  and  their  generations  became  numer 
ous.  Their  four  daughters  were  married  as 


ROMANCE  AND  HISTORY. 


97 


MRS.   RACHEL   HALL  MUNSON,   AGED   42,   AND   YOUNGEST 
SON   ELLIOT. 

ifollows:  Irena,  to  Dr.  George  Vance,  who  moved 
to  California;  A.  Miranda,  to  Samuel  Dunavan, 
who  settled  on  a  farm  just  north  of  the  Munson 
homestead,  where  she  still  lives;  Fidelia,  to 
George  Shaver,  and  Phoebe  H.?  to  John  F,  Reed, 


98  ROMANCE  AND  HISTORY. 

of  Ottawa,  Mr.  Keed's  daughter  Fannie  was 
married  to  James  H.  Eckles  who  was  Comp 
troller  of  the  Currency  under  Cleveland;  and 
Mr.  Reed 's  daughter  Winnie  is  married  to  Judge 
Kenesaw  Mountain  Landis,  of  Chicago.  Mrs. 
Munson  left  three  sons:  William,  Louis  and 
Elliot,  and  through  them  several  grand-children. 

Edward  Vance,  a  grand-son  of  Mrs.  Munson, 
is  a  well-known  lawyer  in  South  Dakota,  and 
Douglas  Dunavan  is  a  prominent  lawyer  at  Ot 
tawa,  Illinois.  We  shall  not  attempt  to  give 
sketches  of  the  various  descendants  of  Mrs. 
Munson,  as  it  would  expand  too  much  the  limits 
of  this  volume. 

The  shock  of  the  massacre  and  subsequent 
captivity  impaired  the  splendid  constitution  of 
Mrs.  Munson,  who  thereafter  suffered  from  ner 
vousness;  but  through  the  earlier  part  of  her 
life,  she  manifested  unusual  vigor.  As  Mrs. 
Munson  passed  middle  life  she  failed  rapidly, 
and  on  May  1,  1870,  she  closed  her  earthly 
career  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  garden  beside 
her  infant  children  who  had  gone  before  her, 
and  when  Mr.  Munson  died  he  was  interred  be 
side  his  faithful  wife.  Their  graves  are  about 
one  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Shabona  Park, 
on  the  original  Hall  homestead. 


ROMANCE  AND  HISTORY. 


BURIAL    PLACE    OF    RACHEL    AND    HUSBAND. 

Incidentally,  we  noted  the  fact  that  for  a 
short  spell  the  Hall  girls  made  their  home  at 
the  residence  of  Rev.  Robert  Horn.  He  had  a 
young  son,  William  S.,  who  was  studying  for 
the  ministry,  and  as  both  belonged  to  the  same 
church  (Methodist)  and  were  born  in  Ken 
tucky,  we  cannot  say  that  the  unexpected 
happened.  He  was  one  year  younger  than  Syl 
via.  The  love  story  of  these  young  people 
would  gratify  any  novel  writer.  When  Sylvia 


100  ROMANCE  AND  HISTORY. 

left  with  her  sister  to  make  her  home  with  her 
brother  John,  she  and  Mr.  Horn  looked  upon 
each  other  with  great  affection.  The  marriage 
of  Rachel  emphasized  the  yearnings  of  Sylvia 
for  her  own  home,  and  May  5,  1833,  she  was 
married  to  Mr.  Horn  and  settled  in  Cass  County, 
Illinois.  There  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Horn. 
eleven  children.  Mr.  Horn's  vocation  called 
him  from  one  place  to  another.  Having  served 
in  the  ministry  in  Illinois,  he  first  went  to  Mis 
souri,  thence  to  Peru,  Nebraska,  next  to  a  par 
ish  near  Lincoln,  and  finally  settled  down  at 
Auburn,  Nemaha  County,  Nebraska,  where  he 
died  May  8,  1888,  leaving  him  surviving,  his 
widow,  Mrs.  Sylvia  Hall  Horn,  and  several 
children  and  grand-children. 

Mr.  Horn  became  an  elder  of  the  M.  E.  Epis 
copal  church,  and  held  several  high  church  of 
fices.  Elder  Horn  was  noted  for  his  intense 
religious  zeal,  and,  figuratively  speaking,  he 
died  in  the  harness  of  exhaustion  and  old  age. 
He  was  buried  in  Mt.  Vernon  Cemetery,  Peru, 
Nebraska. 

After  the  death  of  Elder  Horn,  Mrs.  Sylvia 
Hall  Horn  made  her  home  with  her  son,  Thomas 
S.  Horn,  in  Auburn,  Nebraska,  where  she  died 
January  11,  1899,  aged  85  years,  10  months  and 


MRS      SYLVIA    HALL    HORN    AND    ELDER    HORN. 


ip£  ROMANCE  AND  HISTORY. 

16  days.  Mrs.  Horn  was  buried  beside  her  hus 
band  with  whom  she  had  happily  lived  for  55 
years.  She  left  surviving  her  a  host  of  de 
scendants. 

In  the  fall  of  1867,  John  W.  Hall,  Mrs.  Mun- 
son,  and  her  husband,  made  a  visit  to  Elder 
Horn's,  Auburn,  Nebraska,  during  which  Mr. 
Hall  and  his  sisters  narrated  the  incidents  of 
the  massacre  and  captivity,  which  were  reduced 
to  writing  by  the  Elder  and  published.  The 
manuscripts  are  now  in  the  custody  of  Mrs. 
Eckels  of  Chicago.  In  his  statement  Mr.  Hall 
says:  "After  thirty- five  years  of  toil  have 
passed  over  my  head  since  the  memorable  occa 
sion,  my  memory  is  in  some  things  rather  dim." 
Mrs.  Munson  and  Mrs.  Horn  close  their  recital 
as  follows:  "Thus  we  have  given  the  circum 
stances  of  our  captivity  and  the  rescue  as  nearly 
as  we  can  recollect  at  this  date,  September  7, 
1867."  The  former  published  statements  of 
the  ladies  substantially  agree  with  this  last 
one.  All  their  statements  and  public  interviews 
have  been  freely  used  and  completely  worked 
into  this  narrative.41 

In  1833  the  state  of  Illinois  donated  to  Mrs. 


413    Smith's    "History    of   Wisconsin"    (1854),    187; 
"The  Black  Hawk  War"   (Stevens),  150. 


§   -e  » 


30     f£  — 

d   -/;  K  ^ 


«    S3  2 

W  •    05    « 


104  ROMANCE  AND  HISTORY. 

Munson  and  Mrs.  Horn,  160  acres  of  land  that 
the  United  States  had  given  to  the  state  to 
wards  the  construction  of  the  canal  between 
Chicago  and  Ottawa.  At  that  time  the  land 
was  not  valuable,  and  netted  but  a  small  sum 
to  the  ladies.  Now  that  land  is  within  the  city 
of  Joliet  and  is  worth  considerable  money. 

It  has  been  asserted — and  published  in  books, 
that  Congress  voted  gifts  of  money  to  the  girls ; 
but  in  answer  to  an  inquiry  made  at  the  United 
States  Treasury,  the  author  was  informed  that 
no  such  appropriation  has  ever  been  made,  and 
Mrs.  Dunavan  says  that  she  never  knew  of  her 
mother's  receiving  any  money  from  the  govern 
ment. 

In  1877  Mr.  Munson  erected  a  very  handsome 
monument  on  the  spot  where  his  wife's  parents 
and  the  others  who  died  with  them  were  buried. 
It  is  a  graceful  shaft. 

In  1905,  through  the  efforts  of  friends  of  the 
persons  who  were  massacred  at  Indian  Creek 
on  May  21st,  1832,  the  Illinois  legislature  ap 
propriated  the  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars  to 
place  a  monument  at  the  grave  where  the  vic 
tims  were  buried.42  On  August  29,  1906,  the 

42Laws  of  Illinois,  1905,  p.  42. 


ROMANCE  AND  HISTORY.  105 

new  monument  was  dedicated  with  much  cere 
mony,  music  and  orations.  Among  the  speakers 
were  the  venerable  Hon.  John  W.  Henderson 
and  his  brother,  Gen.  T.  J.  Henderson,  who 
were  boys  at  the  time  that  the  massacre  oc 
curred,  the  former  being-  one  of  the  persons 
who  were  planting  corn  south  of  the  Davis  cot 
tage  on  that  day,  and  who  with  John  W.  Hall 
escaped  to  Ottawa. 

A  full  account  of  the  dedication  will  be  found 
in  the  newspapers  and  in  the  records  of  the 
Illinois  Historical  Society.43 

""Ottawa  Journal,"  August  30,  190G;  "Bureau 
County  Republican,"  August  30,  190G;  XII.,  "Trans 
actions  of  the  Illinois  State  Historical  Society "  p 
339. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

SIIABONA.* 

The  story  of  the  Hall  girls'  adventures  would 
not  be  properly  finished  without  some  further 
mention  of  Chief  Shabona.  ProDaOly  no  other 
Indian  in  the  West  knew  more  white  people, 
individually,  than  he  knew ;  also,  he  was  known 
at  sight  to  more  white  people  than  was  any 
other  chief  of  his  time.  His  name  was  so  famil 
iar  among  the  whites,  that  its  mere  mention  was 
a  safe  passport  to  any  home  of  the  settlers. 

*This  chief's  name  is  spelled  in  many  different 
ways,  to-wit:  "Sha-bom-ri,"  in  Smith's  History  of 
Wisconsin;.  "Shah-bee-nay,"  by  Mrs.  Kinzie  in  Wau- 
Bun;  "Shaubena,"  by  Matson;  "Shau-be-nee,"  by 
Kingston;  "Chab-on-eh,"  "'Shab-eh-ney,"  "Shabonee," 
and  "Shaubena,"  in  the  Appleton's  Encyclopedia  of 
American  Biographies,  and  on  his  tombstone  his 
name  is  spelled  "Shabona".  In  Illinois,  places  named 
after  him  are  spelled  S.habbona  and  Shabonier,  the 
latter  being  the  French  spelling.  As  Mr.  Smith,  Mrs. 
Kinzie,  Mr.  Matson,  and  Mr.  Kingston,  knew  Sha 
bona  well,  the  weight  of  evidence  .seems  to  be  111 
favor  of  spelling  his  name  Shaubena,  which  is  in 
accordance  with  the  spelling  of  Indian  words.  The 
second  b  is  not  heard  in  the  usual  pronounciation  of 
"Shabbona"  (Shab'-eh-ney),  and  it  causes  strangers 
to  mispronounce  the  name.  Even  the  word  "Sac", 
is  usually  pronounced  Sauk,  and  is  generally  spelled 
Sauk.  Very  many  Indian  names  have  the  diphthong 
au  as  shown  by  names  of  rivers  and  places.  Conse 
quently,  it  would  seem  that  the  first  syllable  should 
be  spelled  S-h-a-u-b. 

[1061 


SHABONA.  107 

Shabona  was  well  aware  of  that  fact  and  he 
always  introduced  himself  as  "Mr.  Shabona." 

Baldwin  says  that  Shabona  was  born  in 
Canada ;  but  Matson  asserts  that  he  was  born  on 
the  Kankakee  in  Will  County,  Illinois ;  and  the 
"Handbook  of  American  Indians"  gives  Mau- 
mee  River,  Illinois,  as  his  birthplace.  This  con 
tention  of  many  countries  as  the  place  of  Sha 
bona 's  birth,  proves  the  greatness  of  the  man. 
Argos,  Rhodes,  Smyrna,  Chios,  Colophon,  and 
several  other  cities,  claim  to  be  the  birthplace 
of  Homer;  and  Scotland,  England,  Wales,  and 
Britany,  of  St.  Patrick.  Authors  agree  that 
Shabona  was  born  in  1775  and  dwelt  at  Sha 
bona 's  Grove  for  fifty  years.  He  was  a  grand- 
nephew  of  Pontiac  and  his  father  who  was  an 
Ottawa  chief,  fought  under  Pontiac.  Shabona 
was  six  feet  tall,  erect,  and  weighed  over  two 
hundred  pounds. 

During  the  wars  of  1812,  1827  and  1832, 
Shabona  rendered  great  services  to  the  white 
people  by  saving  the  lives  of  many  of  them  who 
were  taken  captives  by  the  Indians,  and  by  pro 
tecting  the  home  of  John  Kinzie  and  his  friends 
during  the  Chicago  massacre.  However,  with 
his  tribe  he  joined  in  the  border  war  against 
the  whites  and  fought  beside  Tecumseh  when 


108  SHABONA. 

he  fell  at  the  battle  of  the  Thames.  That  was 
the  last  time  that  Shabona  raised  a  hand  against 
the  white  people. 

When  Col.  Richard  M.  Johnson,  who  com 
manded  the  American  army  at  the  Thames  be 
came  vice-president  of  the  United  States,  Sha 
bona  made  a  visit  to  him  at  Washington.  The 
vice-president  gave  Shabona  a  heavy  gold  ring, 
which  he  wore  until  his  death  and  at  his  request 
it  was  buried  with  him. 

On  account  of  Shabona 's  great  services  to  the 
white  people,  the  state  of  Illinois  gave  him  two 
and  one-half  sections  of  land  at  the  site  of  his 
Paw-Paw  Village.  In  1837  the  last  of  Sha 
bona  's  tribe  having  been  moved  to  a  Kansas 
reservation,  he  followed  them  with  his  family 
consisting  of  twenty-seven  persons,  including 
his  son  Pypagee  and  nephew  Pyps  who  were 
soon  thereafter  slain  by  the  Sacs  for  the  parts 
that  they  played  in  notifying  the  whites  to  flee 
to  Ottawa,  before  the  massacre  at  Indian  Creek. 
Shabona  was  warned  that  the  Sacs  were  schem 
ing  to  assassinate  him,  because  of  his  efforts  to 
save  the  whites,  and  in  1855  he  returned  to 
Illinois. 

Before  Shabona  left  Illinois  for  Kansas,  he 
placed  his  lands  in  the  hands  of  an  agent  named 


SHABONA.  109 

Norton  to  collect  the  rents,  pay  the  taxes  and 
to  look  after  them  generally.  Unconscionable 
settlers  squatted  on  Shabona's  lands  and  filed 
in  the  government  land  office,  affidavits  that 
Shabona  had  abandoned  the  lands,  and  on  that 
proof  and  some  technicalities  the  lands  were 
again  sold  as  public  lands,  and  on  Shabona's 
return  he  found  his  domain  in  the  possession 
of  the  squatters  who  claimed  to  be  the  owners. 
Shabona  could  not  help  feeling  that  he  had  been 
cheated  by  the  whites,  after  all  he  had  done  for 
them,  and  the  old  man  sat  on  a  log  near  where 
his  village  had  formerly  stood  and  wept 
bitterly. 

"And  man,  whose  heaven-erected  face 
The  smiles  of  love  adorn, 
Man's  inhumanity  to  man 
Makes  countless  thousands  mourn!" 

Shortly  after  his  return,  as  Shabona  was  cut 
ting  a  few  poles  to  erect  a  tent  on  the  margin 
of  the  grove  that  bore  his  name,  a  settler  at 
tacked  him  and  forcibly  drove  him  off  the  land, 
and  shamefully  abused  the  old  man.  Then  for 
some  time  homeless,  he  wandered  about  from 
place  to  place,  the  few  remaining  whites  whom 
he  had  befriended,  always  giving  him  a  warm 
welcome.  The  old  warrior's  plight  aroused  the 


110  SHABONA. 

dormant  gratitude  of  a  few  whites  who  raised 
a  fund  with  which  they  bought  for  him  at  Sen 
eca,  on  Mazon  Creek,  near  the  Illinois  River, 
twenty  acres  of  land  which  they  cultivated  and 
erected  a  dwelling-house  thereon.  Because  of 
his  natural  desire  to  live  out-doors,  Shabona 
lived  in  a  tent  nearby  and  used  the  cottage  for 
storage  purposes.  Through  the  efforts  of  his 
friends,  the  government  granted  him  a  pension 
of  two  hundred  dollars  a  year,  on  which  he  sub 
sisted  until  he  died  in  1859,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
four  years,  and  was  buried  in  Evergreen  Ceme 
tery,  at  Morris,  Illinois.44 

When  Shabona  was  dying,  he  said:  "I  want 
no  monument  erected  to  my  memory;  my  life 
has  been  mark  enough  for  me."  However,  his 
friends  erected  at  his  grave  a  granite  boulder 
five  feet  long  by  three  feet  high,  which  bears 
only  this  simple  inscription:  " Shabona,  1775- 
1859.  "45 

The  state  of  Illinois  purchased  a  part  of  the 
Davis'  homestead,  including  the  place  of  the 
massacre  and  mill-dam,  and  named  it  ''Shab- 
bona  Park." 


"7,   Wis.   Hist.   Col.,   415-421;    History  of  La   Salle 
County,  Balwin,  110. 
*5"Evergreen  Cemetery"    (printed  pamphlet),  p.  4. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

CO-MEE  AND  TOQUA-MEE. 

Some  of  our  readers  may  ask,  Was  anyone 
prosecuted  for  the  massacre  at  Indian  Creek? 
Oh,  yes  !  Co-mee  and  To-qua-mee  who  had  tried 
to  buy  Rachel  and  Sylvia  Hall  from  their  father, 
as  related  in  Chapter  III.,  were,  in  the  spring 
of  1833,  at  Ottawa,  Illinois,  indicted  by  a  grand 
jury,  and  a  warrant  issued  and  placed  in  the 
hands  of  Sheriff  George  E.  Walker  who  had 
been  an  Indian  trader  and  spoke  the  Pottawat- 
omie  language,  to  make  the  arrests.  The  In 
dians  had  gone  to  Iowa  with  Black  Hawk  and 
had  become  members  of  his  tribe. 

Alone,  Sheriff  Walker  went  to  the  Sac  reser 
vation  and  placed  the  Indians  under  arrest. 
The  two  Indians  made  no  resistance,  but  un 
shackled  accompanied  the  sheriff  to  Ottawa. 
They  were  allowed  to  go  on  a  bond  signed  by 
themselves,  Shabona,  and  several  other  In 
dians,  upon  their  promises  upon  their  honor  to 
return  for  trial. 

When  the  time  for  the  trial  arrived  the  In 
dians  were  on  hand,  although  they  had  told 
their  friends  that  they  expected  to  be  executed. 
Many  of  the  friends  of  the  people  who  had  been 
tni] 


]12  CO-MEE  AND  TO-QUA-MEE. 

massacred,  armed  and  threatening  to  shoot  the 
prisoners,  if  they  should  be  liberated,  attended 
the  trial.  There  was  no  jail  in  Ottawa  at  the 
time,  so  the  trial  was  held  under  a  great  tree 
on  the  bank  of  the  Illinois.  All  through  the 
trial  the  sheriff  with  a  posse  of  armed  men, 
guarded  the  Indians. 

Mrs.  Munson  and  Mrs.  Horn,  the  principal 
witnesses,  could  not  positively  identify  either 
of  the  Indians,  and  as  the  Indians  had  volun 
tarily  stood  their  trial  when  they  might  have 
escaped,  the  jury  acquitted  them.  When  the 
trial  was  over  the  Indians'  friends  gave  them  a 
banquet  at  Buffalo  Rock  (six  miles  down  the 
Illinois),  to  which  the  sheriff  and  several  other 
prominent  men  of  the  time  were  invited.  A 
fat  deer  and  choice  game  were  parts  of  the 
menu,  and  a  great  red-white  pow-wow  was  a 
part  of  the  celebration. 

It  is  said  that  subsequently  when  To-qua-mee 
and  Co-mee  were  drinking  with  their  friends, 
they  admitted  that  they  were  present  at  the 
massacre,  and  that  they  took  part  in  it  only 
because  they  were  angered  at  Davis  for  build 
ing  the  dam  across  Indian  Creek.  Also,  they 
stated  that  it  was  through  their  influence  that 
the  lives  of  the  Hall  girls  were  spared,  which 


CO-MEE  AND  TO-QUA-MEE.  113 

was  an  express  condition  upon  which  they  in 
sisted  before  they  would  take  part  in  the  mas 
sacre.  However,  Black  Hawk  in  his  autobiog 
raphy  states  that  it  was  the  Sac  Indians  who 
saved  the  lives  of  the  girls ;  and  White  Crow  in 
his  speech  at  Morrison's,  said  that  the  Sacs  in 
tended  to  kill  the  girls  and  that  the  Winneba- 
goes  saved  their  lives.46 

4GXI.  Transactions  of  Illinois  Historical  Society, 
190G,  p.  313;  Memories  of  Shabona,  165-168;  Black 
Hawk's  Autobiography,  111;  Ante,  p.  83. 


INDEX 


A.  PAGE 

Adoption  of  Captives  by 

chiefs   01 

Agriculture  and   civili/a- 

"    tiou   25 

Atkinson,  Gen.  at    Ottawa  5' 

letter  to  Col.  Gratiot..  5(5 

offers  reward 54 

Auburn,     w  h  e  r  e     Eider 

Horn  died    100 

B. 

Battle     <>f    "Stillmaii's 

Kun"    --'0 

The  Pecatonica 92 

Beloit,    Turtle    village...  55 
Beouchard,      Lieut.     Ed- 

ward  55 

meeting    captives 79 

Big  Fox,  camp  near 03 

Black  Earth  Creek,  camp 

on    TO 

Black   Hawk   War 17 

Black     Hawk,     born     at 

Rock   Island 18 

council    of 18 

fought     with     English, 

1812     18 

grief    of 10 

love  of  country 18 

ordered     to     move     TO 

Iowa     18 

return    t"    Illinois 18 

speech  of  18 

second   council    of 20 

Black  Hawk's  Grove,  ar 
rival  at   45 

Black    Hawk    "Lookout", 

camn    near    75 

Black    Hawk,    picture    of 

as  a  warrior 17 

picture  of  as  civilian..  21 

Black   Hawk's   village...  20 
Blacks  m  i  t  h,   important 

settler    25 

[114] 


Blockhouses,  building  of  54 
Brigham,    Ebenezer,    In 
dian  feast    82 

Buckwheat  as  first  crop.  25 

Buffalo,   herds  of 12 

"Burnt    City",    near     Ft. 

Atkinson,  Wis 01 

C. 


Camp   on   Wisconsin 

river     

Black  Hawk's  Grove  45, 
Black    Hawk's    "Look 
out",    camp    near. . . . 

Cold   Spring    

Horicon    Lake    

Portage,   camp  near... 
Canada,    Indian   voyages 

to  

Canoes,    where   girls   en 
tered    

Captives,  Indians  kill 

when  attacked  

Captivity  of  Hall  girls.. 
"Carolina",   St.   Louis  to 

Beardstown   

Chickens,  prairie    

Hiippewas,    Indians 

Cholera   at  St.   Louis 

Civilization,    m  a  r  r  i  age 

and    agriculture 

Clark,  Gov.,  of  Missouri. 
Clothes.   Indians  furnish 

Hall   girls    

Cold  Spring,  camping  at 
Comb,     Rachel's    thrown 

away    

Co-mee,     tried     to     buy 

wife    

arrest-  of  for  murder.. 

acquittal     

alleged     confession     of 

murder    

Country,   description   of. 


26 


02 
01 

02 

23 
111 
112 

113 


INDEX 


115 


I>.  PAGE 

Dam  across  Indian  Creek  2!) 

Indians  object  to 2!) 

Indian     tears     o  n  tl  e  t 

through    21) 

Dancing  of  Indians  41,  50,  (54 

Davis  City,  dream  of. ...  28 

Davis,  Jefferson   1) 

Davis  Settlement   23 

Davis,  Alex.,  escape  of..  32 

Davis,  William,  sketch  of  25 

children    of   murdered.  35 

murdered  by  Indians..  :',."» 

powerful  and  brave...  28 
whipped     Indian     with 

stick   .. .'. 20 

Davis,   Wm.,   Jr.,   escape 

of    35 

Dedication  of  State  Mon 
ument    105 

Deer,  herds  of 12 

Description  of  country..  1) 

Dixon,  center  of  trail's..  13 

Dodge,  Col.,  raises  troops  54 

address  to  Indians 85 

c  o  m  m  a  n  d     at     Blue 

Mounds   81 

takes  hostages 87 

Drunkenness  in  Militia..  52 

"Dry    Year",    the 31 

Dnnavan,     Mrs.    A.     Mi 
randa   fi.  07,  103 

information  given  by..  0 
Dunavan,    Samuel,    mar 
ried  Miss  Munson...  07 
picture  of    103 

E. 

Kckles,    Hon.    James    II 

U.    S.    Treasurer 08 

Eckles,   Winnie,   married 

to  Judge   Landis 08 

P:nglish  government  pen 
sioned  Sacs  26 

Evidence,  best   fi 

F. 

Family  history,  Munson    6,  95 
Family  .history,  Horn.   6,100 

Fire,    a    prairie 11 

Flag  of  Truce 20,  70 

Flowers,    many     beauti- 
Lm    12, 27 


PAGE 

great  growth  of 31 

Forests,  trees  of 10 

Fort    Defiance,   rest    at...  78 
For!      Winnebago,     Port 
age    ' 78 

Fox  Indians   13 

Fox  river,  description  of  S) 

G. 

Galena,    meeting   of   peo 
ple     54 

Game,  abundance  of 12 

Geology  of  country 10 

George,    Henry,   at   work 

on  dam   32 

shot  by  Indians 30 

Gratiot,  Capt.  Bion,  and 

Indians   81 

wife  of,  cultured 80,00 

Gratiot,    Col.   Henry,   In 
dians'  friend    55 

address  to  Indians 84 

Gratiot's  Grove,  descrip 
tion    of    80 

H. 

Hair,    ceremony    of   clip 
ping   68,  70 

cutting     locks     from 

captives    68 

scalp,    double,   meaning 

of    70 

Hall   girls,   as   captives.. 

41-47,  50-65 

adopted   by  chiefs 61 

and  neighbors'1  horses.  3!) 
at  Black  Farth  Creek  76,  77 
at  Black  Hawk's  Grove  45 

at  Blue  Mounds 70-83 

at  Cold  Spring   61 

at  Fort  Defiance 88 

at  Galena  03 

at  Gratiot's  Grove...   88-00 

at  Horicon,  Lake 66-67 

at  Kishwaukee  river.  42-44 

at  Morrison's   84-88 

at  Portage 70 

at  St.   Louis 03 

at  White  Oak  Springs  00-02 

description    of 7,8 

dresses     given     by 
squaws    62 


116 


INDEX 


PAGE 

food  of  captives 

43,  46,  62,  72,  76,  78 
guests  of  Gov.  Clark..  *.):.! 
I  n  <1  i  a  n  s  wanted  as 

wives    23 

kept  apart  in  traveling  61 
letter  from  Rev.  Horn.  01 
painted  by  squaws....  60 
popular  appellation  of.  6 

prayers  of  39 

presents  to 92,102,104 

purse  collected  for....  94 
Rachel  exhausted. ..  42,  98 

religious  offerings 46 

sleeping      between 

squaws    46 

tiresome  traveling. 42,  70,  78 

weeping  of  39,  00 

wept  parting  squaws..  79 
Hall,  Edward,  in  militia  79 
Hall.  Elizabeth,  killed 

by  Indians   23,35 

Hall,    Greenbury,    escape 

of    32,36 

Hall,    John    W.,    escape 

of    35,36 

buries     massacred 

whites    49 

meets  sisters   91 

recruits   squadron    48 

searches  for  sisters . .  49,  50 

statement    of    102 

visits     sisters    in    Ne 
braska   1(V2 

Hall,  Reason,  in  Militia.     79 
Hall.   Rachel,   one  of  the 
"Hall  girls",  ages  of  23,  98 

death    of    98 

exhausted    42,98 

family  of 96,  98 

marriage  of   95 

picture  of    97 

state   land   gift 102 

tomb   of   99 

wading  Kishwaukee. . .  42 
Hall,  Sylvia,  one  of  the 

"Hall      girls",      ages 

of 23,  100 

death    of    100 

fainted     at     sight     of 

scalp    43 

family  of  100 

marriage  of   100 


PAGE 

pictures  of   24,  101 

state  land   gift  to 102 

Hall,  William,  sketch  of    23 

family  of 23 

hospitality,   noted    24 

shot  by  Indians 35 

Hall,   Mrs.   Win.,   massa 
cred    34-35 

Harney,  Gen.,  U.  S.  offi 
cer     51 

Harrison,    president 9 

Hearts,  human  on  spears     60 
Henderson,     Hon.     John 

W.,   escape   of 32,  35 

memorial  oration  of...   105 
Henderson,  John  H.,  set 
tler    25 

Henderson,    Gen.    T.    J., 

oration    105 

Home,  longing  for...  99,101 

Horicon  Lake 63 

Horn,  Mr.   C.   L.,  grand 
son   of   Elder 6 

Horn,    Miss     Sylvia     E., 

grandchild  of  Elder.       6 
Horn.  Thomas  S.,  son  of 

Elder    100 

Horn.     Elder     W.     S., 

sketch  of  99,  101 

marries    Sylvia    Hall..  100 

picture  of   101 

Horses   stolen  from   set 
tlers    39 

Howard,  Allen,  escape  of 

32,  35 
I. 

Illinois     river 4,13 

Indian   troubles 13 

bands  attack   settlers..  21 

land  claims 13 

marriage   custom 2°> 

scare 31 

whipped  by  Davis 29 

Indians:  Foxes,  Sacs,  etc.  13 

attack  Davis  cottage..  33 

attempt    to    get    girls.  69 

carry  away   Hall  girls  39 

conspiracy  suspected..  81 

parting  from  Hall  girls  88 

refusal  to  ratify  treaty  16 

taken  to  Morrison's...  84 

trial  of  for  murder...  112 

wrongs  of  16 


INDEX 


117 


J. 


PAGE 


Jackson,  President  An 
drew  9 

Jerome,  Judge  Edwin, 
guest  of  Halls 24 

Johnson,  Gen.  Albert 

Sydney  9 

Johnson,  Col.  R.  M.,  and 
Sbabona  108 

K. 

Kaskaskia,   mission    and  ' 

capital     9 

Kishwaukee    riA'er 10 

Kishwaukee  Trail    13 


La  Fayette,  Gen.,  at  Kas 

kaskia    ..............  0 

Land,  Indian  claims  to..  13 

donated   to   Hall   girls.  104 
Landis,    Judge     K.    M., 
married  Winnie  Eek- 

les     .................  98 

Lands,  treaty  as  to  ......  13 

Lincoln,    Capt.  Abraham.  44 

anecdote  of  ...........  53 

President,    at    Kaskas 

kia    .................  9 

Little    Priest,     Indian 

chief    ...............  61 

as   hostage    ...........  87 

M. 

Maple  sugar,  abundance. 

02,  04 

Marquette,    Father  .......       9 

25 
23 


Marriage  and  civilization 

Indian  wife  purchase.. 

Massacre,       the       Indian 

Creek  ...............     31 

Medary,  George,  Hotel  of  84 
Michigan,  excitement  in.  54 
Mill,  necessity  in  settle 

ment    ...............     25 

Miller,  important  settler.     25 
Military   movements  .....     51 

Military  Road,  course  of 

67,78 
Militia,  drunk   ..........     52 

Monument     erected      by 

Munson    ......  4,103,104 


PAGE 

Monument      erected      by 
state    104 

Monuments     on     site     of 
massacre    4, 103 

Munson,      Rachel,     three 

generations     of 103 

burial   place  of 98 

given    land    103 

Munson,  William,  sketch 

of 95 

family  of Ml,  97,  98 

picture    of 96 

N. 

Neighbors,   helping   each 

other 25 

Norris,   Robert,   at   work 

on  dam   33 

shot  by  Indians 36 

O. 

Oconomowoc    river 10 

lakes  around 63 

Ox-teams    for     breaking 

prairie     25 

P. 

Paw  Paw,  Shabona's  vil 
lage    108 

Pecatonica,  battle  of 92 

Pensions  from  England.     26 
Peru,      home     of     Elder 

Horn    100 

Pettlgrew,    Win.,    sketch 

of 24 

baby  killed  by  Indian.     34 

killed  by  Indians 34 

Mrs.,  shot  In  cottage..     34 

Picture  of  a  prairie  fire.     11 

Black  Hawk  as  civilian     21 

Back    Hawk  as  warrior     17 

Chief   Shabona    30 

Monuments ...    4,  27,  99, 103 
Mrs.      Dunavan,      Mrs. 
Hum,      Mrs.      AVatts, 
Howard    Hum,    Gla 
dys      Hum,      Samuel 

Dunavan  103 

Mrs.  Rachel  Hall  Mun 
son  and   son  Elliott.     97 


118 


INDEX 


PAOE 

Mrs.    W.    S.    Horn   and 

the    Flder    101 

none  of  Misses  Hall...  7 

Shabona  Park   37 

where      twirls      entered 

canoes    00 

William  Mnnson,  after 

middle   life    00 

Wisconsin    river 75 

tombs    of    Rachel    and 

her    husband 01) 

Portage,       where       girls 

took   canoes    00 

Pottawatomie    Indians. . 

13,  10,  53 

Prairie  breaking    25 

Pnrse  for  IlaJl   girls 04 

Pursuit  of  Indians 44 

Pypagee,   Shabona's  son, 

friend  of  settlers.  22, 108 
Pyps,  Shabona's  nephew, 
friend  of  settlers.  22,108 

Q. 

Quails,    plentiful    12 

B. 

Rabbits,    abundant 12 

Rachel's  comb,  taken  by 

Indian   02 

Rachel  ransomed 07 

Ransom  from  Sacs GO 

Ratification,    refusal      of 

Indians   10 

Red  Bird  war 17 

Red    Flag    promenade...  05 
Reed,    John,     m  a  r  r  i  e  s 

Phoebe    Munson 08 

Reed.  Fannie,  married  to 

Mr.   Eckles    08 

Religion,  Indian  offering  40 
Religious    ceremony...   05,73 

Reward  offered   54 

payment  in  goods 89 

Rivers,   formation   of 10 

Road,     safest     to     Blue 

Mounds  08 

Rock   river    9 

rapids  passed  by  cap 
tives     03 

Romance  and   history...  95 

Royally  welcomed 79 


s. 


PAGE 


Sacs   claim   land 10 

follow  girls  to  Portage     71 

danger    expected 77 

Sank   Trail    20 

Scalp,  double  meaning  of     70 

Scalping    victims     34 

Scan  Ian,     Miss     Marian, 

contributor   7 

Sea n Ian,    Miss    Gertrude, 

contributor   7 

Scott,  uncle  of  Hall  girls    91 

Settlement,    Davis    23 

Settlers  attacked   by   In 
dians    21 

rush   to   Ottawa 31 

return  to  Davis  settle 
ment    32 

Shabona,  sketch  of 100 

abuse  of  by  squatters.   105) 
cheated      out     of     his 

lands    100 

Col.     Johnson's     gift 

ring  to   108 

grave  of  40 

home  on  Mazon  creek.  110 

notifies  whites 22,  31 

Park     27,  110 

Paw  Paw  Village  of..  108 

picture  of    30 

removal  to  Kansas 108 

second    notice    to    set 
tlers   32 

tomb   of   110 

Shaver,  Delia,  married  to 

William  Munson,  Jr.     08 
Shaver,   George,    married 

Fidelia    Munson 07 

Sod   corn,  first  crop 25 

Somonauk,  passing  head 
waters   40 

Spotted    Arm,    chief 57 

as    hostage    87 

Springfield,  state  capital, 

1837 9 

Starved  Rock  State  Park      0 
Stillman,    Major,    defeat 

of,   "Stillman's  Run"     20 
"Stillman's     Run",     rout 

at 20,48,51,52 

militia  undisciplined  20,  51 
pursuing    Indians...  20,51 

truce  flag  abused 20 

Stockades,   building  of..     84 


INDEX 


119 


PAGE 

Storms     rains    31 

V.                       PAGE 

Vance,    Ed.,    lawyer     in 
Dakota        .                            98 

St.  Louis,  girls  ship  for.     93 
Sycamore  river       10 

Vance,    Dr.    G.,    marries 
Irma  Munson  

97 

111 

13 

ID:; 

30 

57 
57 

66 

ST 
•~)7 

71 

.  92 
51 
50 
16 

93 
73 

•jt; 

Sycamore    at    rising    of 
moon                               .     41 

W. 

Walker,   Sheriff,  fearless 
Waterway,  Green  Bay  to 
Prairie  du  Chien  
Watts,   Mrs.,   picture   of. 
Waubansee,  friend  of  the 
whites 

Sylvia    Hall,   one   of   the 
"Hall  girls"   0 

first  ransomed                      66 

T. 

Taylor     Gen.,    report     to 
Atkinson                HI 

Whirling  Thunder,  prom 
ises   assistance    
White     Crow,     promises 
assistance    

Tecumseh,   Chief.  22 
To-qua-mee,     arrest    for 
murder    Ill 
acquitted    of   murder..   112 
alleged     confession     of 
murder                             113 

character   and   appear 
ance    
makes  speech  to  girls, 
speech  at  Morrison's., 
speaks  English  to  cap 
tives   

Indian  marriage  23 
Torture,  not  women  cap 
tives     (54 

White   Oak   Springs,   de 
scription   of    91 

Treaty  of  1804  13 
Articles    13-16 
Turkeys  on  prairies  12 
Turnips,   first  crop  25 
Turtle  Creek    10 
Turtle  Village   .  .                .     55 

Whiteside  with   Harney. 
finds    white    scalps.... 
Winnebago  Indians  
"Winnebago  ',  steamboat 
for  St    Louis 

Wisconsin  river  scenery. 
Woods,  description   . 

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